The process of approaching ethical considerations and determinations for the use of legacy anatomical collections
Embargo Date
2027-02-11
OA Version
Citation
Abstract
The present study is motivated by efforts to determine how to approach the ethical use of a cephalopagus conjoined twin specimen in the Anatomy & Neurobiology Department at Boston University Aram V. Chobanian & Edward Avedisian School of Medicine (BU CAMED). Cephalopagus type conjoined twins are an extremely rare occurrence, defined by fusion from the head to the umbilicus. The study documents the process of forming an oversight committee, investigating provenance, and creating a formalized checklist for the oversight committee to use as a tool to assess efforts that have been made to comply ethically with the recommendations published by the American Association for Anatomy (AAA). Due to the recency of the recommendations, there are limited examples of other institutions documenting the process. The formalized checklist may be generalizable to other institutions seeking to implement a process for managing their own legacy anatomical collections. Provenance was investigated through conducting interviews, contacting relevant individuals, and reviewing written documentation records, including archival records. The checklist was designed to encapsulate the AAA’s recommendations. The oversight committee was formed to represent a diverse array of individuals from different academic backgrounds with multiple perspectives to reduce bias. The oversight committee meeting emphasized the importance of having scientific justification for pursuing a research question versus scientific curiosity, especially when it pertains to legacy anatomical specimens. It also highlighted the need for experts within the field of embryology to be able to make that determination in our case. Further, the awareness of how marginalized communities were often targeted for anatomical donation was discussed. Above all, we must treat our specimens with dignity and respect at the forefront of all decision-making, which includes avoiding harm to the descendants and descendant communities of our specimens.
Description
2025