Th is report provides a concise overview of the rendering and utilization of three-dimensional models in the fi eld of anatomy. Anatomical three-dimensional virtual models are widely used for educational purposes, preoperative planning, and surgical simulations because they simply allow for interactive three-dimensional navigation across the human organs or entire body. Virtual threedimensional models have been recently fabricated as accurate replicas of the anatomical structures thanks to advances in rapid prototyping technology.

The absence of the musculocutaneous nerve represents a failure of the nerve to depart from the median nerve during early development. During a routine dissection of a 66-year-old white female cadaver, a bilateral absence of the musculocutaneous nerve was observed in the upper limbs. Muscles of the anterior flexor compartments of the arms including biceps brachii and brachialis were supplied by branches of the median nerve. The lateral cutaneous nerve of the forearm also branched from the median nerve. In a clinical case of a particularly high median nerve injury, a variation of an absent musculocutaneous nerve may not only result in typical median nerve palsy of the forearm and hand, but palsy in the arm that would manifest as deficiencies in both shoulder and elbow flexion as well as cutaneous sensory loss from the lateral forearm.

The anatomy of the human temporal bone is complex and, therefore, poses unique challenges for students. Furthermore, temporal bones are frequently damaged from handling in educational settings due to their inherent fragility. This report details the production of a durable physical replica of the adult human temporal bone, manufactured using 3D printing technology. The physical replica was printed from a highly accurate virtual 3D model generated from CT scans of an isolated temporal bone. Both the virtual and physical 3D models accurately reproduced the surface anatomy of the temporal bone. Therefore, virtual and physical 3D models of the temporal bone can be used for educational purposes in order to supplant the use of damaged or otherwise fragile human temporal bones.

This paper describes a unique case of craniosynostosis in a female skull in which sagittal sutures were completely fused by adolescence. Despite sagittal synostosis, the skull was of normal shape and size. Regarding craniometric features, the synostotic normocephalic skull was markedly different than that of scaphocephalic skulls which typically result from premature obliteration of the sagittal suture.

Anatomical variations of the inferior vena cava, including the double inferior vena cava or isolated left inferior vena cava, are uncommon and of great clinical importance. Inferior vena cava variations signify predisposition to deep vein thrombosis and may complicate retroperitoneal surgeries including abdominal aortic surgery. Failure to recognize such variations may predispose a patient to life- threatening complications. This prospective anatomical study assessed 129 cadavers for variations of the inferior vena cava. One of the 129 cadavers (0.78%) possessed a double inferior vena cava and none (0%) possessed an isolated left inferior vena cava. The left-sided inferior vena cava was of a larger diameter than that of the right-sided inferior vena cava — opposite of what would be seen in a Type III duplication. Therefore, this observation expands the three-type classification system to include a Type IV duplication.