Introduction: The aim of the present study is to report an original, unusual, case of bilateral anatomical variation of the sciatic nerve, with low origin and high division. Material and Methods: Anatomical dissection was performed on a 66 year-old female cadaver. The corpse was embalmed and conserved through our original embalming techniques. Results: The particular anatomical variation was first detected during routine dissection classes for undergraduate students. The study was completed with contralateral dissection to unveil bilateral variation. In both hind limbs, the sciatic nerve had a low origin, deep below the mid-gluteal region, and suffered high division, near the lower margin of the gluteal region, after a short length of circa 8 cm, to divide into the common fibular and tibial nerves. Discussion: We detect several cases of sciatic nerve high division, in the reports of the earliest anatomists, such as Leonardo da Vinci, Vesalius, Da Cortona, or Eustachius. Such ancestral interest for these anatomical variations demonstrates the importance of their knowledge for health professionals of different areas. Conclusion: The accurate study of sciatic nerve anatomical variations bears evident surgical, anaesthesiology and clinical applications. As more meticulous as our anatomical studies may get, one will never reach the state of perfection to consider such studies as definitive.

Confecção de modelo neuroanatômico funcional como alternativa de ensino e aprendizagem para a disciplina de neuroanatomia

Introduction: The neuroanatomy discipline is seen by students as one of the most complex and difficult of the basic cycle in health courses. This is taught with lectures and practical classes, where in the last one, the use is made of corpse parts. However, the use of this type of material has been decreasing making it professors and monitors search for new alternatives. One of these alternatives is the manufacture and the use of neuroanatomical models that assist and facilitate the understanding of practical teaching and learning. The study aims to manufacture neuroanatomical models alternative for the practical Neuroanatomy classes. Materials and Methods: The study is an action research, exploratory, descriptive, where were made neuroanatomical models in the Human Anatomy Laboratory at the University of Pernambuco, Petrolina, with cheap materials in order to improve learning in practical teaching. The confections of these models were made with polystyrene, biscuit dough, string, colored acrylic paint, ink colored oil, rubberized, cardboard and plaster bandages. Results: Were made ten neuroanatomical parts that corresponding to the spinal cord, reticular formation and the dermatomes of the limbs. Conclusion: It was observed that the manufacturing of these models is necessary for conducting practical classes being possible elaborate them with quality at low cost, being an alternative in front of real difficulties in obtaining corpse parts and being a strong tool in the teaching and learning of the Neuroanatomy discipline. But regardless of the alternatives utilized, the confection of models will never replace the use of corpse parts.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the student's conception in reference to the teaching materials used for the practical assessment of the discipline of Human Anatomy. The study was quantitative and qualitative, exploratory and descriptive. The materials were industrialized synthetic anatomical models, models made of inexpensive material by students, human cadaveric material, photocopied images and software. The study included 97 students, who after analysis indicated cadaveric materials (35%) as the best educational tool to be applied for the practical assessments of Anatomy. The photocopied images (3%) were the material with which the students presented greater difficulty. The content analysis of the discursive questions showed 5 factors in learning Human Anatomy: little time per table; difficulty in identifying, locating and memorization of anatomical structures; the quality of material used; comparing these materials; and cadaveric material. The study proved to be relevant for the evolution of teaching quality, in addition to the cadaveric material as the best tool to be used in practical assessments of Human Anatomy. We suggest the use of this material the more frequent, in laboratories that have the same materials as analyzed here, because the corpse can never be substituted in teaching and learning of Anatomy.

Introduction: Monitoring allows students the basic cycle of higher-level courses, principally, a deeper understanding of all content been living in class, in this case, the Human Anatomy classes. Through it the student develops various daily activities at the Human Anatomy Laboratory to that add up to the didactic and pedagogical activities required in this process, like the cadaveric dissection. Dissect derives from the Latin meaning to separate, cut, etymologically being equivalent to anatomy. The present study aimed to report the student-monitor experience the discipline of Human Anatomy in cadaveric dissection. Methods: The study is an experience report of a qualitative approach, with an exploratory descriptive analysis, whose objective was to describe, in the words of Physiotherapy course monitors, the importance in the dissection technique. For this, has been made the reading for each reporting for the identification of the central issues described by each monitor. Results: The reports were obtained in February 2014 soon after the end of the I Course of cadaveric dissection of Upper and Lower Limbs, sponsored by the Human Anatomy Laboratory of the University of Pernambuco, Petrolina, as a process of training to those student-monitors who had been selected for the period between 2014.1 and 2014.2 monitoring. Conclusion: It could be perceived that the cadaveric dissection was seen as a way to strengthen the humanization of future health professionals, which resulted in its ethical and social practice, and it has allowed an improvement in teacher-monitor-student relationship.

Percepção de discentes frente ao uso de roteiros de estudo em aulas práticas de neuroanatomia