Purpose: A recent study published in the JMIR Med Educ Journal explored the potential impact of the Generative Pre-Train (ChatGPT), a generative language model, on medical education, research, and practice. In the present study, an interview with ChatGPT was conducted to determine its capabilities and potential for use in anatomy education (AE) and anatomy research (AR). Methods: The study involved 18 questions asked of ChatGPT after obtaining an online subscription to the 4th edition. The questions were randomly selected and evaluated based on accuracy, relevance, and comprehensiveness. Results: The ChatGPT provided accurate and well-structured anatomical descriptions, including clinical relevance and relationships between structures. The chatbot also offered concise summaries of chapters and helpful advice on anatomical terminology, even with complex terms. However, when it came to anatomical variants and their clinical significance, the chatbot’s replies were inadequate unless variants were systematically classified into types. ChatGPT-4 generated multiple-choice quizzes and matching questions of varying difficulty levels, as well as summaries of articles when presented with text. However, the chatbot recognized its limitations in terms of accuracy, as did the authors of the current study. Conclusion: ChatGPT-4 can be a valuable interactive educational tool for students in the field of anatomy, encouraging engagement and further questions. However, it cannot replace the critical role of educators and should be used as a complementary tool. Future research should establish guidelines for ChatGPT’s optimal use and application in medical education.

Trifon Totlis, Maksim Tishukov, Maria Piagkou, Michael Kostares, Konstantinos Natsis. Anat Cell Biol 2021;54:332-9. https://doi.org/10.5115/acb.21.006

The present systematic review and meta-analysis provides a comprehensive assessment of the sciatic nerve (SN) variants relative to the piriformis muscle (PM) and compares those variants’ prevalence among different geographical populations with respect to gender and laterality. A database search was conducted to identify cadaveric studies pertinent to SN variants relative to the PM. A total of 44 articles were included. The typical morphological pattern (type A, with the SN passing undivided below the PM) was found to be the most common variant, with 90% pooled prevalence. SN variants were more common among East Asians, with a 31% pooled prevalence of total variants. No significant differences were established with respect to gender and laterality. In greater than 10% of the population, the SN coursed through or above piriformis. Patients’ epidemiological characteristics may predispose them to certain variants. The common peroneal nerve (CPN) is more susceptible to injury during a total hip arthroplasty or a hip arthroscopy where anomalies are encountered. As anatomical variants are commonly associated with piriformis syndrome, they should always be considered during diagnosis and treatment.