What question did this study set out to answer?

To evaluate the educational benefits of cinematic rendering in teaching otolaryngology anatomy to medical students.

April 10, 2026Open Access

Implementation of Cinematic Rendering in Otolaryngology Education

Key Points

To evaluate the educational benefits of cinematic rendering in teaching otolaryngology anatomy to medical students.
Used cinematic rendering images to demonstrate head and neck anatomy.
Administered a questionnaire assessing students' experiences and perceptions of CR in otolaryngology education.
Analyzed correlations between prior experience with CR and perceived understanding of anatomy.
All evaluated statements received high agreement scores from participants.
Students with prior CR experience showed significantly better spatial awareness of anatomy (ρ = 0.80, p < 0.05).
Improved understanding of complex disease processes was noted among those with CR experience (ρ = 0.76, p < 0.05).
General comprehension of otolaryngology increased with prior CR exposure (ρ = 0.74, p < 0.05).

Abstract

Background: The complex anatomy of the head and neck region challenges medical students. Cinematic rendering (CR) is an advanced visualization technique that enables three-dimensional (3D) representation of cross-sectional image data and is used in education at the Faculty of Medicine at Johannes Kepler University. Methods: For the first time, CR images were used to illustrate otolaryngology anatomy in medical education. The educational value of this approach was evaluated using a questionnaire assessing six core statements and dichotomous variables, including prior experience with CR and otolaryngology. Results: All six statements showed high levels of agreement based on mean evaluation scores. Evaluation results differed according to participants’ prior experience with CR. A strong correlation was exploratorily observed between prior experience with CR and improved spatial awareness of otolaryngology anatomy (ρ = 0.80, p < 0.05). Additionally, prior experience with CR correlated with improved understanding of complex disease processes (ρ = 0.76, p < 0.05) and enhanced general comprehension of the respective field (ρ = 0.74, p < 0.05). Conclusions: These findings suggest that early integration of CR into otolaryngology education may support students’ perceived spatial understanding and facilitate comprehension of complex disease processes.

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