Acknowledging the use of human cadaveric tissues in research papers: Recommendations from anatomical journal editors.

TLDR: Twenty editors‐in‐chiefs from 17 anatomical journals joined together to put together official recommendations that can be used by authors when acknowledging the donor cadavers used in their studies to standardize the writing approach by which donors are acknowledged in anatomical studies that use human cadaveric tissues.

Abstract: Research within the anatomical sciences often relies on human cadaveric tissues. Without the good will of these donors who allow us to use their bodies to push forward our anatomical knowledge, most human anatomical research would come to a standstill. However, many research papers omit an acknowledgement to the donor cadavers or, as no current standardized versions exist, use language that is extremely varied. To remedy this problem, 20 editors-in-chiefs from 17 anatomical journals joined together to put together official recommendations that can be used by authors when acknowledging the donor cadavers used in their studies. The goal of these recommendations is to standardize the writing approach by which donors are acknowledged in anatomical studies that use human cadaveric tissues. Such sections in anatomical papers will not only rightfully thank those who made the donation but might also encourage, motivate, and inspire future individuals to make such gifts for the betterment of the anatomical sciences and patient care.

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differences between this version and the Version of Record. Please cite this article as doi:
10.1002/ca.23671
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Acknowledging the Use of Human Cadaveric Tissues in Research Papers:
Recommendations from Anatomical Journal Editors
Joe Iwanaga
1-3
, Vishram Singh
4
, Aiji Ohtsuka
5
, Youngil Hwang
6
, Hee-Jin Kim
7
, Janusz Moryś
8
,
Kumar Satish Ravi
9
, Domenico Ribatti
10
, Paul A. Trainor
11,12
, José Ramón Sañudo
13
, Nihal
Apaydin
14
, Gülgün Şengül
15
, Kurt H. Albertine
16
, Jerzy A. Walocha
17
, Marios Loukas
18,19
,
Fabrice Duparc
20
, Friedrich Paulsen
21,22
, Mariano Guillermo Armando Del Sol Calderon
23
, Philip
Adds
24
, R. Shane Tubbs
1,2,25,26
The affiliations and addresses of the authors
1. Department of Neurosurgery, Tulane Center for Clinical Neurosciences, Tulane
University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA, USA
2. Department of Neurology, Tulane Center for Clinical Neurosciences, Tulane University
School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA, USA
3. Division of Gross and Clinical Anatomy, Department of Anatomy, Kurume University
School of Medicine, Kurume, Fukuoka, Japan
4. Department of Anatomy, Kasturba Medical College Mangalore, Manipal Academy of
Higher Education, Karnataka, India
This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

5. Department of Human Morphology, Okayama University Medical School, Okayama,
Japan
6. Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Seoul National University College of
Medicine, Korea
7. Division in Anatomy & Development Biology, Department of Oral Biology, Yonsei
University College of Dentistry, Korea
8. Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology, Medical University of Gdańsk, Poland
9. Department of Anatomy, All India Institute of Medical Sciences Rishikesh, India.
10. Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Neurosciences and Sensory Organs, University of
Bari Medical School, Bari, Italy
11. Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO, USA
12. Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Kansas School of Medicine,
Kansas City, KS, USA.
13. Departamento de Anatomía y Embriología Humanas, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad
Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
14. Department of Anatomy, Ankara University Faculty of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey
15. Department of Anatomy, Ege University Faculty School of Medicine, Bornova, Izmir,
Turkey
16. Departments of Pediatrics, Medicine, and Neurobiology & Anatomy, University of Utah,
School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

17. Department of Anatomy, Jagiellonian University, Medical College, Kraków, Poland
18. Department of Anatomical Sciences, St. George’s University, St. George’s, Grenada, West
Indies
19. Department of Anatomy, Medical School Varmia and Mazuria, Olsztyn, Poland
20. Laboratory of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, Rouen-Normandy University, Rouen,
France
21. Institute of Functional and Clinical Anatomy, Friedrich Alexander University Erlangen-
Nürnberg, Germany
22. Sechenov University, Department of Operative Surgery and Topographic Anatomy,
Moscow, Russia
23. Center of Excellence in Morphological and Surgical Studies, Faculty of Medicine,
Universidad de La Frontera, Chile
24. Department of Anatomy, St George’s, University of London, London, United Kingdom
25. Department of Structural & Cellular Biology, Tulane University School of Medicine, New
Orleans, LA, USA
26. Department of Neurosurgery and Ochsner Neuroscience Institute, Ochsner Health
System, New Orleans, LA, USA
Running title:
Acknowledging the Use of Human Cadaveric Tissues in Research Papers
This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Corresponding author:
Joe Iwanaga, DDS, PhD
Department of Neurosurgery, Tulane Center for Clinical Neurosciences, Tulane University
School of Medicine, 131 S. Robertson St. Suite 1300, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA
iwanagajoeca@gmail.com
Tel: 5049885565 Fax: 5049885793
The authors have nothing to disclose.
Abstract
Research within the anatomical sciences often relies on human cadaveric tissues. Without the
good will of these donors who allow us to use their bodies to push forward our anatomical
knowledge, most human anatomical research would come to a standstill. However, many
research papers omit an acknowledgement to the donor cadavers or, as no current standardized
versions exist, use language that is extremely varied. To remedy this problem, 19 editors-in-
This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

chiefs from 16 anatomical journals joined together to put together official recommendations that
can be used by authors when acknowledging the donor cadavers used in their studies. The goal
of these recommendations is to standardize the writing approach by which donors are
acknowledged in anatomical studies that use human cadaveric tissues. Such sections in
anatomical papers will not only rightfully thank those who made the donation but might also
encourage, motivate, and inspire future individuals to make such gifts for the betterment of the
anatomical sciences and patient care.
Keywords: anatomy, dissection, cadavers, research, recommendation, medical ethics
Introduction
Cadaveric tissues are essential for researchers performing human tissue research and for many
educators who teach future healthcare providers. However, historically, such specimens were
often derived from dubious sources. In modern times, most human cadaveric tissues are derived
from donors while still alive. This premortem consent is important for maintaining good ethical
This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Frequently asked questions

Q1. What are the main reasons for the lack of a standardized acknowledgement section in studies using?

Diversity in religion, sense of medical ethics, and view of life and death have all probably contributed to the lack of a standardized Acknowledgment section in studies using cadaveric tissues. 

Q2. What is the purpose of this article?

Keywords: anatomy, dissection, cadavers, research, recommendation, medical ethicsCadaveric tissues are essential for researchers performing human tissue research and for many educators who teach future healthcare providers. 

Q3. What is the way to acknowledge cadavers?

anatomical journals and journals publishing studies that use cadaveric tissues might recommend a cadaveric donor acknowledgement in their author guidelines. 

Q4. What is the name of the journal?

Journal Description Anatomical Record None Anatomical Science International None Anatomy None Anatomy & Cell Biology None Annals of Anatomy NoneClinical AnatomyIf the submission uses cadaveric tissue, please acknowledge the donors in an acknowledgement at the end of the paper. 

Q5. What are the types of acknowledgements used in anatomical journals?

such acknowledgment standards can be used for oral and poster presentations, books and book chapters, and various forms of social media (Rai et al., 2019) where cadaveric tissues are exhibited.