Introduction: The continued practice of anatomical dissection in medical training has placed great demands on body acquisition. This paper aims to provide an overview of the ethical considerations in the use of unclaimed bodies for anatomical dissection.
Materials and Methods: We explored major databases such as PubMed, MEDLINE, Ovid MEDLINE, Researchgate, Google Scholar, Web of Science, and Science Direct, from January 2004 to October 2019, using selected keywords to identify and extract articles relating and peculiar to the use of unclaimed bodies for anatomical dissection.
Results: This review yielded 40 publications with 28 meetings of our quality and inclusion requirements. This paper highlighted the use of unclaimed bodies for anatomical dissection as seen in some medical schools, and the various ethical considerations associated with its continuous use in medical training globally.
Conclusion: In conclusion, the continuous use of unclaimed bodies for anatomical dissection still carries strong ethical and legal uncertainties. It is therefore recommended that there is a need to formulate an all-inclusive regulation to control the use of cadavers for anatomical dissection. If appropriate legislation and guidelines are not put in place with strict monitoring, we may soon return to the cadaver trafficking era to meet up with the demand.
Key words: Anatomy, dissection, unclaimed bodies, ethics
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