Reporting detailed information and acknowledging donor-cadavers: good practicerecommendation for anatomists

Abstract

Objectives:In order to facilitate a healthy and trusting relationship between anatomists and their society, appreciating theanatomical gift of the individuals that donated their bodies to science in every way possible remains central. Apart from memorial services and monuments, scientific articles themselves can be a good platform to show this appreciation. In this article, we aimedto create awareness among anatomists and researchers by evaluating the information given regarding donor-cadavers in their articles and see if they acknowledged them. Methods: We evaluated all articles that used human cadaveric specimens by Turkish anatomists published between January2011 and April 2016 and assessed if researchers provided data on the age, gender, preservation technique(s), source, andethical / legal permissions regarding the cadavers used. Results: Majority of the articles provided data about gender (74.5%) and age (68.9%). Preservation technique (56.6%) andsource of specimens (50.5%) were reported less frequently. While 28.3% of the articles provided data on some form of ethicalapproval, only 11.8% of the articles provided data on the consent of the individuals. Ten (4.7%) articles acknowledged the cadavers and/or their families. Conclusion:We believe it is the duty of anatomists to promote body donation within their society by building a trustworthy relationship. Scientific articles that depend on donor-cadavers should also be used to promote this relationship. Therefore, awarenessamong anatomists should be raised to discuss ethical grounds for scientific research on cadavers.