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

Abstract

Objectives: In order to facilitate a healthy and trusting relationship between anatomists and their society, appreciating the anatomical 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 aimed to an create and 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 January 2011 and April 2016 and assessed if researchers provided data on the age, gender, preservation technique(s), source, and ethical / 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%) and source of specimens (50.5%) were reported less frequently. While 28.3% of the articles provided data on some form of ethical approval, 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, awareness among anatomists should be raised to discuss ethical grounds for scientific research on cadavers.