Plastination of Upper And Lower Limbs with Injection of Colored Polymer into the Arteries

Purpose: Plastination is a unique technique of tissue preservation developed by Dr Gunther von hagnes in Hidelberg, Germany in 1978. In this process water and lipids are replaced by curable polymers (silicon, polyester, epoxy) which are subsequently hardened, resulting in dry, odorless and durable specimens. The aim of this study was to prepare plastinated specimen of upper and lower limbs by injecting colored polymer into the arteries. Materials and Methods: This study was carried out on a human body after fixation of the cadaver. The colored polymer was prepared by mixing red colored paste with polyester and the cobalt (accelerator) and peroxid (hardening) was added. The prepared colored material was injected into the body through femoral artery by the nasso-gastric catheter and the hydrayulic pump device. After few day the colored material dried up. Dissection, dehydration, defatization and impregnation of the body was carried out. Finally the prepared plastinated specimen was compared with the standard plastinated model. Results: The plastinated specimen obtained was compared with the standard model of Heidelberg, Germany for its stature, flexibility and traction by the universal test DARTC (England) apparatus in the medical physics department of isfahan school of medicine. The result obtained was found to show that the P-value was 0.21 and the standard error was 0.0416. Conclusion: According to this study, the P value was greater than 0.05, which shows no significant difference statistically. The plastinated specimen prepared by injecting colored polymer into the arteries, provided an excellent opportunity to demonstrate and study the dissected areas of the difficult structures which can be of great benefit in teaching gross anatomy and neureo-anatomy. In addition because of the durability, safety, reduction intoxic and naxious fumes of formalin, plastinated specimens can uniqe materials as a teaching aid by the side of Wet specimens.