Objectives: The aim of this study was to assess the predictive value of the Vandenberg and Kuse Mental Rotation Test (MRT) on performance of novice medical students for manipulation of a nasal endoscope on a cadaveric model.
Material and method: We randomly selected 39 medical students who had never handled a nasal endoscope and subjected them to the MRT. General information including experience in manual, technical, or surgical activities and testing of anatomical knowledge were collected to exclude possible confounding factors. They were then asked to perform series of cadaveric model exercises using a nasal endoscope. Their cadaver performance was evaluated by 2 blinded observers, using a standardized scale.
Results: We found that medical students with higher mental rotation skills had significantly increased endoscopic sinus performance (P = .0002 using multivariate regression adjusted for specialty choice, previous surgical exposure, and anatomy knowledge). Higher anatomy knowledge was also associated with better endoscopic sinus performance (P = .0141). Other parameters had no impact on endoscopic sinus performance measured by the endoscopic scale (P > .05).
Conclusion: The score obtained on the MRT was correlated with the practical performance of manipulating the nasal endoscope in cadaver. It could therefore be a useful spatial ability tool for directing targeted training in rhinology.
Keywords: anatomy learning; cognitive training; endoscopic sinus surgery; surgical training; visuospatial ability.