Key findings
In Texas in 2021, 43% of the cadavers in 14 medical schools studied came from unclaimed bodies. A total 14% of schools reported that they accepted unclaimed bodies, 28% possibly accepted them because they were transferred from institutions that use them, and the remaining 57% do not accept unclaimed bodies.
The total number and proportion of unclaimed bodies going to medical education in the study increased during the study. The 14% in 2021 was a jump from 2% in 2017, for example.
The 14 medical schools studied included both public and private institutions. The investigators also looked at data from the Texas State Anatomical Board, which tracks how cadavers are attained and distributed in the state, including how many began as unclaimed bodies.
Legal in most jurisdictions
Dr. Shupe first learned about what can happen to unclaimed bodies as a hospice volunteer. She was accompanying the hospice chaplain one day who said: “Poor Mr. Smith [not his real name] doesn’t have long, and then he’s off to the medical school.” Dr. Shupe asked what the chaplain meant because she was unaware of the practice.
“I stumbled on this by chance, and it ended up being a really fruitful research area,” she added.
The bigger picture
Greater awareness is needed and there is not a lot of research out there, Dr. Shupe said. One exception is a 2018 study of medical schools nationwide that found 12.4% reported possible use of unclaimed bodies.
Dr. DeCamp, an author of that previous research, said: “Knowing this practice continues is the most important thing for doctors and medical students to know.”
It remains unclear whether the COVID pandemic or the opioid epidemic contributed to the rise of unclaimed bodies going to medical training. That is a question for future study, Dr. Shupe said.
Most bodies willingly donated
The majority of cadavers that go to medical training in the United States are ‘full body donors,’ people or relatives who agree to voluntarily send a body to medical schools. “We are fortunate to have a lot of people who are willing to become whole body donors,” she said.
Greater awareness about how donated cadavers could make a difference to further increase willful donations, Dr. Shupe said. “Honoring those gifts by allowing them to help train the next generation of doctors is a wonderful thing.”
A May 2023 study from Dr. Balta and colleagues on body donation programs in the United States “found that the number of whole-body donations have decreased in some states and the numbers are not enough to meet the needs for education, research and clinical training,” Dr. Balta said. This could explain the increasing use of unclaimed bodies.
“Some medical schools have explicit educational interventions on this topic, and formally recognize the unclaimed at anatomical gift ceremonies,” Dr. DeCamp said. “More should.”
Research support was provided by the UTA. Dr. Shupe, Dr. Balta, and Dr. DeCamp reported no relevant financial relationships.
A version of this article first appeared on Medscape.com.