Cadaveric Hand & Wrist Dissection Workshop

UDOTS Master of Orthopaedic Surgery (MCh Orth) students participated in a Hand & Wrist Dissection Demonstration and Workshop using Thiel Cadavers on the morning of Monday 6th December 2022.

This workshop, organised and run by Professor Arpit Jariwala (Consultant Upper Limb and Trauma Surgeon/Director of UDOTS), is held annually at the Centre for Anatomy & Human Identification (CAHID) at the main University Campus where students performed several cadaveric dissections under the direct supervision of Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeons. Pairs of participants had a Thiel cadaver to themselves with faculty guiding them through various surgical techniques. Thiel embalmed cadavers are unique to the MCh (Orth) Dundee course and afford a more realistic, moveable, and flexible cadaver that better simulates real-life surgery.

The workshop was dedicated to hand and wrist surgical approaches. For this session, Professor Jariwala was joined by his NHS Tayside colleagues Mr Simon Johnson, Ms Kirsty Munro and Ms Jennifer Cherry (NHS Grampian).

Demonstrations for this session included: (1) Carpal tunnel decompression procedure (2) Extended carpal tunnel for revision cases (3) Trigger thumb/finger release (4) Flexor tendon in finger exposure with Brunner incision (5) FCR approach for distal radius fracture fixation (6) Volar approach for scaphoid surgery (7) Dorsal wrist approach for ganglion and carpal surgery (8) De Quervain’s tenosynovectomy exposure (9) Dorsal approach for trapeziectomy (10) UCL ligament of thumb exposure and demonstration of laxity on its division (11) Dorsal finger approach for tendon repair.

Left: MCh (Orth) students with Mr Simon Johnson, Professor Arpit Jariwala, Ms Jennifer Cherry and Ms Kirsty Munro; Right: Professor Arpit Jariwala with Tyler Halliwell (Anatomy Technical Manager - CAHID) Jude Muirhead (Laboratory Technician - CAHID).   

Mr Arpit Jariwala, Director of UDOTS and workshop convenor, stated:

“I am indebted to my NHS colleagues for their cooperation and expert contributions in making this workshop possible every year. I’d like to show my gratitude to all at CAHID who continue to support UDOTS by making the Thiel cadavers available for our workshops; our students greatly appreciate the cadaveric workshops we continue to provide. Finally, I’d like to pay tribute to those generous individuals who bequeath their bodies to medical science. I also thank family members who realise the necessity for surgical understanding, education, and research to advance.”

WORKSHOP FEEDBACK

“It was really a great experience with you and your team during all three consecutive cadaveric workshops. It was a great learning experience for me. The upper limb anatomy, as well as surgical dissection, helped me greatly with detailed clinical understanding. Other staff members were also very helpful. MCh (Orth) Dundee course in its highest level with this kind of cadaveric workshops.”

“The whole experience was overwhelming for me as to be a part of this accomplished faculty and amazing colleagues. Great environment set by UDOTS. Especially thanking all consultants, very knowledgeable and skilful. Hoping to be a part of more workshops like this.”