the journal of...

The official publication of the International Society for Plastination

The Journal of Plastination

I SSN 2 311 -77 61

Volume 30 (2); December 2018

Remembering Professor Lance Graham Nash – p5

Remembering the Past While

Looking to the Future: The

First Ten Years of the Journal

of Plastination – p8

Establishing for the First Time

the Use of the Standard S10

Technique for Plastination in

The Sudan – p15

Report of the 19th

International Conference on

Plastination – p19

Abstracts Presented at the

19th International Conference

of the ISP – p20

Minutes of the Business

Meeting of the International

Society of Plastination – p47

Announcement of the 20th

International Conference of

the ISP – p51

IN THIS ISSUE:

In Memoriam

Professor Lance Graham Nash, BSci., MSci., PhD.

(1961 - 2016)

The Journal of Plastination

ISSN 2311-7761 ISSN 2311-777X online The official publication of the International Society for Plastination

Editorial Board:

Rafael Latorre Murcia, Spain

Scott Lozanoff Honolulu, HI USA

Ameed Raoof. Ann Arbor, MI USA

Mircea-Constantin Sora Vienna, Austria

Hong Jin Sui Dalian, China

Carlos Baptista Toledo, OH USA

Philip J. Adds Editor-in-Chief Institute of Medical and Biomedical Education (Anatomy) St. George’s, University of London London, UK

Robert W. Henry Associate Editor Department of Comparative Medicine College of Veterinary Medicine Knoxville, Tennessee, USA

Selcuk Tunali Assistant Editor Department of Anatomy Hacettepe University Faculty of Medicine Ankara, Turkey

Executive Committee: Rafael Latorre, President Dmitry Starchik, Vice-President Selcuk Tunali, Secretary Carlos Baptista, Treasurer

Instructions for Authors

Manuscripts and figures intended for publication in The Journal of Plastination should be sent via e-mail attachment to: [email protected]. Manuscript preparation guidelines are on the last four pages of this issue.

On the Cover: The photograph of Professor Nash originated on Pinterest as saved by The American University of the

Caribbean.

mailto:[email protected]

The Journal of Plastination 30(2):1 (2018)

Journal of Plastination Volume 30 (2); December 2018

Contents

Letter from the President, Rafael Latorre 2

Letter from the Editor, Philip J. Adds 4

Remembering Professor Lance Graham Nash; M. Zhang*, D.G. Jones and D.R. Grattan 5

Remembering the Past While Looking to the Future: The First Ten Years of the Journal of Plastination; Philip J. Adds

8

Establishing for the First Time the Use of the Standard S10 Technique for Plastination in The Sudan

15

Report of the 19th International Conference on Plastination; Dalian, China; July 19 -July 22, 2018

19

Abstracts Presented at the 19th International Conference of the ISP; Dalian, China 20

Minutes of the Business Meeting of the International Society of Plastination; July 21, 2018 47

Announcement of the 20th International Conference of the ISP 51

Instructions for Authors 52


LETTER FROM THE

PRESIDENT

Letter from the President of the International Society for Plastination

Dear Friends and Plastinators,

On behalf of the International Society for Plastination (ISP) I would like to thank

all of you who participated in the 19th International Conference on Plastination in

Dalian, China (July 2018). I would like to thank The Dalian Medical University, and

especially the efforts made by Dr. Sui and his local team, to organize this

congress. There were many hours of coordinated work to get everything ready. I

know from experience that organizing this kind of conference, together with a

workshop, takes a lot of effort. The quality of the lectures and communications

was excellent as substantiated in the abstracts contained in this issue of the

Journal of Plastination. Special thanks to Ms. Tanya and the yellow-green

volunteers for their dedication to making everything in this meeting a great

success. Members of the International Society for Plastination had frequent

meetings with the local organization committee to help them develop the best

conference possible. For this reason, I would like to express my special thanks for

the work done by Drs. Carlos Baptista, Robert Henry, Dmitry Starchik and Selcuk

Tunali; without their help this congress would not have been possible. We

learned a lot during the congress, and we established interesting collaborations

for our laboratories in the near future.

In the general meeting of the ISP held on July 21, 2018, Dalian, the new Officers

and Councilors of the International Society for Plastination for the biennial 2018-

2020 were announced: President: Rafael Latorre; Vice-president: Dmitry Starchik;

Secretary: Nicolas Ottone; Treasurer: Carlos Baptista; and Councilors Kees De

Jong, Hong-Jin Sui, Onyemaech Okpara Azu, and Telma Masuko. I would like to

thank Anthony Weinhaus for his support with this election process. Special thanks

to Selcuk Tunali for his tenure as Secretary since 2016. Thanks to Bob Henry, Ming

Zhang and Athelson Bittencourt for serving as councilors since 2016. We greatly

appreciate the time they have dedicated to the ISP. I am sure they will continue

to be involved as active members and we will still have the opportunity to learn

from them. Congratulations to all elected officers, you are the principal part of

our Society during the next two years. Thank you for the opportunity of serving

the ISP as your President for the next two years. I will do my best, and with the

help of all ISP members, especially the board committee, I am sure our Society

will keep growing in both activities and prestige.

We have two years ahead to finish projects we have already started in the ISP and

to begin with new actions to improve our Society. During the general assembly in

Dalian, we presented the following proposals:

Rafael Latorre, DVM, PhD


1. ISP Website:

a. New ISP webpage with a new look and more information about

members, labs, commercials, video tutorials etc.

b. Optimize the information obtained with our ISP survey. A lot of

information can be included in the new ISP website

c. Include the link with the MOOC about S10, P40 and E12 plastination

techniques

d. Announce any course or seminar about plastination around the

world

e. Include a section of new papers about research using plastination as

a tool

2. ISP list:

[email protected]

[email protected]

a. Open to the list any question we receive asking for help or

information about plastination techniques

b. Send to the list topics to discuss around plastination activities

c. Promote new research applications/techniques of plastination

3. Journal of Plastination:

a. Commitment to send papers from the ISP members

b. Commitment to invite to other people to participate in the journal

with original paper/ review

4. Training:

a. Promote at least two new advanced plastination courses in the next

two years

Participants in the general meeting of the ISP also decided on Temuco, Chile, to

host the 20th International Conference on Plastination to be held in 2020. My

best congratulations to Dr. Nicolas Ottone. The other candidate, Honolulu,

Hawaii, was invited to host the 12th Interim Meeting of the ISP in 2019.

I would like to welcome all new members of the ISP and to invite them as well as

the rest of member to participate in the various ongoing activities organized or

hosted by the ISP.

Finally, I want to express my appreciation and gratitude to Dr. Philip Adds, for the

superb job as Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Plastination and for the continued

organization of the journal.

With the kindest regards from Murcia, Spain

Yours sincerely,

Rafael Latorre


LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

Dear Colleagues,

In the previous issue, I reported that I had submitted an application for The Journal of

Plastination to be indexed on Scopus. Scopus (which is owned by Elsevier) is the largest

abstract and citation database of peer-reviewed literature: scientific journals, books and

conference proceedings, covering over 36,000 titles1.

I am pleased to be able to report that I have received the following response from the

Scopus evaluation team:

Title: Journal of Plastination

ISSN / E-ISSN: 2311-7761 / 2311-777X

Publisher: The International Society for Plastination

The title mentioned above has been evaluated for inclusion in Scopus by the Content

Selection & Advisory Board (CSAB). The review of this title is now complete and the CSAB

has advised that the title will be accepted for inclusion in Scopus. For your information,

the reviewer comments are copied below:

Single blind peer review, yet the journal publishes just one or two issues per year and

belongs to an international scholarly society. Editors and authors are globally dispersed

but are predominantly from the USA. While readability of articles is good, the title is only

fairly cited and the Editor standing is not as high as one would expect it to be, both in

terms of h-index and number of published documents. Further the title is not covered by

any major bibliographic databases which makes accessibility an issue. Would like to

accept the title for its strengths but request re-evaluation in the future to see if

challenges mentioned have been addressed.

Our Source Collection Management department will contact the publisher of this title

within the next three months to initiate the indexing process for Scopus. A content

coverage agreement needs to be in place before we can start adding the content to

Scopus.com. If you are the publisher, please do not send us your content yet unless

requested by our Source Collection Management department.

This is very encouraging, and is a reflection of the high quality of the papers published in

our Journal. In the meantime, I shall continue with our application to the Web of

Science, and hope to re-submit an application to Medline in the near future.

Best wishes,

Philip J Adds Editor-in-Chief References

1. https://www.elsevier.com/en-gb/solutions/scopus

Philip J. Adds, MSc, FIBMS, SSFHEA

https://www.elsevier.com/en-gb/solutions/scopus

The Journal of Plastination 30(2): 5 (2018)

Professor Lance Nash

In Memory Of

Professor Lance Graham Nash, BSci., MSci., PhD.

(1961 - 2016)

Written by: M. Zhang*, D.G. Jones and D.R. Grattan

Department of Anatomy, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand

Corresponding Author: Ming Zhang, MB, MMed, PhD., Department of Anatomy, University of Otago, PO Box 913,

Dunedin 9054, New Zealand. Telephone: 0064 3 479 7378 Fax: 0064 3 479 7254, E-mail:

[email protected]

Professor Lance Nash died on the 14th September 2016 at the age of 55. This tribute is a

celebration of his life and the extraordinary contribution that he made to clinical anatomy

and plastination. We knew Lance for a long time. He completed his BSc, MSc and PhD

degrees in our Department, University of Otago, New Zealand, and then worked at the

American University of the Caribbean in St. Maarten, Netherlands Antilles, and was

promoted to Full Professor in 2011.

Lance devoted his life to clinical anatomy and plastination. Clinical anatomy is a unique

and challenging discipline that requires diverse skills in dissection, an ability to perceive

three-dimensional relationships of anatomical features and their relationship to function,

and other health professional knowledge. Lance was a classically-trained clinical

anatomist with a comprehensive knowledge of the anatomy discipline with skills in the

dissecting room and plastination laboratory. Lance initially trained as a healthcare

professional in Orthotics and Prosthetics, and spent more than a decade working with

medical and paramedical staff in a clinical setting. In this role, he was promoted to

Regional Manager for Orthotic services with the Wellington Capital Health Corporation,

New Zealand.

His PhD work at the University of Otago resulted in high impact publications and was included in the 40th edition of Gray’s

Anatomy. Together with his PhD classmate, Dr Mark Phillips, he established a novel technology: "The use of confocal

microscopy for the examination of E12 sheet plastinated human tissue" (Phillips et al., 2002) and successfully applied it to

the clinical anatomy research on the deep cervical fascia (Nash et al., 2005a; Nash et al., 2005b; Nash et al., 2004; Scali

et al., 2015a; Scali et al., 2015b). Lance's plastination skills were trained by Mr Russell Barnett, a well-known pioneer in

the international plastination society. During his time in Otago, Lance helped Russell to prepare one transverse and one

sagittal sets of the whole cadavers that have been heavily used in both research and undergraduate and postgraduate

teaching in our Department for almost two decades.

Professor Gareth Jones was Head of the Department of Anatomy in Otago when Lance was undertaking his postgraduate

studies. Professor Jones recalls that, since Lance’s background was quite different from so many postgraduate students,

he had to learn to fit in with this new environment. He was older, and had a Maori background, which is not common in

Anatomy. While he sometimes stood out as being different, what shone through was his infectious enthusiasm; rarely

could he be held back. He was very conscious of mapping out new paths for those like him who had had to make their

way up through the ranks. He was a pathfinder in many ways, but rather than see this as a hurdle, he tried to embrace it.



Professor Jones sketched

by Lance

On completion of his postgraduate research training, he took a lecturer position at the American University of the

Caribbean (AUC), a US-accredited medical school on the island of Sint Maarten. He developed extensive experience

teaching all parts of the body and led dissection/sectional anatomy/osteology/radiology laboratory sessions. He

contributed to the histology course. As a successful and highly rated academic he was appointed Chairman of Anatomy,

Embryology and Histology in 2008 and Full Professor in 2011. He initiated and led a number of key reforms in the ACU,

including innovations in audio-visual and IT equipment use in teaching and assessment, improving quality and availability

of cadaveric material through negotiations with a Dutch University and the design and development of a completely new

anatomy facility.

Outside of the classroom and laboratory, Lance was a great team man. He would always

be the first person organizing social events, whether it be small scale gatherings at the

local bar, or large-scale bus trips for team building and morale. He was a genuinely

selfless person, who would offer support and assistance to friends and colleagues in

whatever way he could. He was also an extraordinarily perceptive individual, seemingly

always able to identify when people were having problems, and doing his best to help

them. His sense of humor was somewhat quirky and droll, and not always immediately

appreciated by everyone, but his intention always was to lift the mood of the people

around him.

His attention to detail in clinical anatomy was supported by a keen artistic talent – as a

student, he took to drawing caricatures of his peers to celebrate things like Ph.D.

completions. He was also full of surprises, as shown by his sketch of Professor Jones on

the latter’s birthday (Figure B). He did this entirely of his own volition, and it came as a

total surprise to Professor Jones. It still hangs in Professor Jones’s office as a

reasonable approximation of what he looked like all those years ago! It also reminds him

of an unforgettable character and blossoming academic. He will be missed by all those

that knew him.

Lance and his friends at the 13th ISP conference, Vienna, 2006


References

Bickley HC, von Hagens G, Townsend FM. 1981: An improved method for preserving of teaching specimens. Arch Pathol

Lab Med 105:674-676.

Nash L, Nicholson H, Lee AS, Johnson GM, Zhang M. 2005a: Configuration of the connective tissue in the posterior

atlanto-occipital interspace: a sheet plastination and confocal microscopy study. Spine (Phila Pa 1976) 30:1359-1366.

Nash L, Nicholson HD, Zhang M. 2005b: Does the investing layer of the deep cervical fascia exist? Anesthesiology

103:962-968.

Nash LG, Phillips MN, Nicholson H, Barnett R, Zhang M. 2004: Skin ligaments: regional distribution and variation in

morphology. Clin Anat 17:287-293.

Phillips MN, Nash LG, NBarnett R, Nicholson HD, Zhang M. 2002: The use of confocal microscopy for the examination of

E12 sheet plastinated human tissue. J Int Soc Plastination 17:12-16.

Scali F, Nash LG, Pontell ME. 2015a: Defining the Morphology and Distribution of the Alar Fascia: A Sheet Plastination

Investigation. Ann Otol Rhinol Laryngol 124:814-819.

Scali F, Pontell ME, Nash LG, Enix DE. 2015b: Investigation of meningomyovertebral structures within the upper cervical

epidural space: a sheet plastination study with clinical implications. Spine J 15:2417-2424.

The Journal of Plastination 30(2):8-14 (2018)

Figure 1. Front cover of Volume 1, Number 1, January 1987

Figure 2. a) Canine heart-lung specimen (Henry, 1987);

b) blue whale heart (Miller et al., 2017)

Remembering the Past While Looking to the Future: The First Ten Years of the Journal of Plastination

Written By: Philip J. Adds, Editor-In-Chief, Institute of Medical and Biomedical Education (Anatomy)

St. George’s, University of London, London, UK

The Journal of Plastination, as we know it today, came

into being as the “Journal of the International Society for

Plastination” thirty-one years ago, in January 1987,

under the distinguished Editorship of Dr Harmon Bickley

(Fig 1). The cover, a simple white with red lettering,

featured an axial image of the human abdomen. It is not

clear where this image came from, as there were no

figures at all inside this first issue. However, one of the

papers within it details the procedure for plastination of

whole-body slices with Biodur® S10 or epoxy: “Sectional

anatomy is a valuable approach to the acquisition of an

understanding of body structure. Before our use of

plastinated slices, it had been neglected for many years”

(Lischka & Prihoda, 1987).

The presence of this image on the cover is highly

significant, and demonstrates the importance (and

relevance) of sheet plastination to sectional anatomy

and, hence, to healthcare technology. While CT and MR

were still relatively new in the eighties, they have since

come to dominate medical imaging, and, crucially,

depend on the ability of medical practitioners to interpret

sectional images. Sectional anatomy is now considered

to be an integral part of medical education: even back in

the eighties, the Journal was ahead of the field.

Five papers were published in issue 1, mostly describing

technical aspects of tissue preservation and plastination;

one paper, however, recognized the potential of

plastination in research: “Complete Examination of

Mastectomy Specimens Using Sheet Plastination with

Epoxy Resin”, which had among its authors the inventor

of plastination, Gunther von Hagens (Guhr et al., 1987).

The very first paper in the new journal was by Karine

Oostrom from Utrecht in The Netherlands: “Fixation of

Tissue for Plastination: general principles”, which

discussed different methods of fixation, color

preservation, colour injection, health hazards, and

employee safety (Ostrom, 1987). Ostrom described the

personal protective equipment (PPE) worn in the

plastination lab in Heidelberg: “rubber gloves, plastic

aprons, and goggles or gas masks.” Ostrom continued:

“Those of you who attended the Third International

Conference on

Plastination in San

Antonio will certainly

recall the slide in which

three young ladies

modelled these

fashionable accessories,

and nothing else…The

editor was adamant that

we omit this illustration,

however it would have

served to show that

even fixation can be

fun.” It is good to note

that high editorial

standards were already in place!

The second issue followed in the same year, again with

five papers focussing mainly on technical issues.

Notable authors in issue 2 include Dr Robert Henry, who

contributed a paper on the plastination of hearts and

heart-lung specimens, using canine specimens (Henry,

1987). Thirty years later, Dr Henry was among the

authors of a paper describing heart plastination on a

much larger scale: the salvage and preservation of a

blue-whale heart: “The Challenges of Plastinating a Blue

Whale (Balaenoptera musculus) Heart “(Miller et al.,

2017). It is interesting to compare the image that

accompanied the 1987 paper, (which was in fact the first

anatomical image ever to appear in the Journal), with the

Remembering the Past/Looking to the Future - 9

image of the final specimen that accompanied the 2017

paper (Fig. 2). These images help to show how far

plastination (and the Journal) have come in the last 30

years. Progress indeed.

The author affiliations from Volume 1 show that all

contributing authors were from the early centres of

plastination, one each from Utrecht, Vienna, and

Heidelberg, and the rest from the USA. This narrow

geographical range reflects the limited reach of the

emergent technology of plastination at that time.

The next significant develop in the development of the

journal came 2 years later, in 1989, with the appointment

of Bob Henry as Editor; Harmon Bickley became

Executive Director of the Society. Volume 3 (1989) was

single-issue only, and included, for the first time,

abstracts from meetings of the International Society for

Plastination: the Fourth International Conference (held in

1988 at Macon, Georgia, USA) and the inaugural Interim

Meeting, held a year later in Knoxville, Tennessee.

Volume 3 also heralded the arrival in print of another

significant figure, Dr Carlos Baptista, with two papers

focusing on clinical and applied human anatomy,

“Plastination of the heart: preparation for the study of the

cardiac valves” (Baptista & Conran, 1989), and

“Plastination of the wrist: potential uses in education and

clinical medicine” (Baptista et al., 1989) (Fig. 3), the

latter again focusing on sectional anatomy. As the

authors put it: “These specimens provide an excellent

tool for teaching anatomy and pathology, for patient

education, and potentially as an augentation to MRI

(magnetic resonance imaging) and CT (computer

tomography) analysis” (Baptista et al., 1989).

The next step in the evolution of the Journal came with

Volume 4, another single-issue volume, published in the

fall of 1990. For the first time, an Editorial board

appeared on the first page, consisting of Drs Carlos

Baptista, Harmon Bickley, and P. Tom Purinton. Bob

Henry continued as Editor, and Harmon Bickley as

Executive Director of the Society. Volume 4 contained

the usual eclectic mix of research and technical papers.

Notable among them was a paper by Lane, continuing

the theme of sectional anatomy “Sectional anatomy:

standardized methodology” (Lane, 1990), with an x-ray

image showing levels of axial sections of the body (Fig.

4) and color images of plastinated body sections (Fig. 5).

It is interesting to compare these early papers on

sectional plastinates with the “Visible Human Project”,

which claimed to have revolutionized the study of

anatomy: “The National Library of Medicine (NLM)

introduced the Visible Human Project (VHP) in

Figure 3. a) Heart valve specimen (Baptista & Conran, 1989); b) wrist

section (Baptista et al., 1989)

Figure 4. Levels of sectioning for axial body slices (Lane,

1990)

Figure 5. Images of plastinated body sections

(Lane, 1990)

10 - Adds

Figure 7. Photomicrographs of sheet plastinated human

knees, showing a control and a series of slices showing

degenerative changes (Graf et al., 1992)

November 1994 and in doing so revolutionized our ability

to view and understand human anatomy.”

(https://infocus.nlm.nih.gov/2014/12/31/the-visible-

human-project-at-20/), emphasis added). On the

contrary, it could be claimed that plastination had

already achieved this, nearly a decade earlier!

Another paper in Volume 4 discussed the potential for

using plastinates in the construction of holographic

images (Myers and Bickley, 1990). Holography was

described at the time as “a solution in search of a

problem” (ibid.), because it had thus far fulfilled only a

small part of its potential. Despite speculation about the

potential for holograms in medical education, the

technology never really seemed to take off. Virtual reality

is now the only game in town. Try typing “plastination

hologram” into Google images nowadays, and the only

relevant image likely to appear is Gunther von Hagens

with a hologram of a plastinated couple during

intercourse (Fig. 6).

Volume 6 came out in 1992, another single-issue

volume, which contained a paper from Graf et al., “Early

Morphological Changes in Chondromalacia Patellae in

Humans - Demonstrated With The Plastination Method”,

which described how epoxy sheet plastination was used

on human patellas to investigate, at the microscopic

level, changes in the chondral and subchondral areas. It

was reported, for the first time, that “the origin of the

idiopathic chondromalacia was detected in the

subchondral area and not the cartilage as previously

thought.” These changes had not previously been seen

with arthroscopy, but demonstrated how plastination can

bridge the gap between the macro- and the microscopic,

and shows the application of plastination to both

research and clinical medicine (Fig. 7) (Graf et al.,

1992).

The Journal developed further in 1993, with changes to

the editorial team that were announced in Volume 7. Dr

Robert Henry remained as Editor, but R. Dale Ulmer,

from the College of Medicine, Mobile, Alabama, was

listed as Editor-elect. The Editorial Board remained as

before, but, as evidence of the growing worldwide reach

of plastination, special Journal Correspondents were

listed: for Canada, R. Blake Gubbins (Queen’s

University, Ontario); for Europe, Margit Rokel (St Leon-

Rot, Germany); and for the Far East, Robert Boyes

(Queensland, Australia).

Volume 7 also contained a paper from another author

who was to go on to become a prominent and

distinguished member of the ISP, Andreas Weiglein:

“Plastinated Brain Specimens in the Anatomical

Curriculum at Graz University”. In this paper, Dr Weiglein

described the use of P35 plastinated brain slices in

Figure 6. Gunther von Hagens with a hologram of a couple

during intercourse

(https://www.gettyimages.com.au/detail/news-photo/three-

dimensional-hologram-of-a-plastinated-couple-during-news-

photo/98631343)


Figure 8. “First known examples of cross-sectional anatomy by

Leonardo da Vinci (1452 – 1519) of the pregnant uterus (a) and the

lower limb (b)“ (Weiglein, 1993)

Figure 9. The original shoulder specimen, E12 plastinated slices and

corresponding MRI, CT and US images (Entius et al., 1993)

neuroanatomy teaching, but he also draws comparisons

between modern-day sectional anatomy and the

anatomical drawings of Leonardo da Vinci (1452 – 1519)

“the first known examples of cross-sectional anatomy”

(Weiglein, 1993) (Figure 8). This was the first paper in

the Journal to discuss the history of anatomy in relation

to modern anatomical techniques.

In the same issue, a paper by Entius et al. brings state of

the art sectional anatomy, medical imaging, and

plastination together. In “A New Positioning Technique

for Comparing Sectional Anatomy of the Shoulder with

Sectional Diagnostic Modalities: Magnetic Resonance

Imaging (MRI), Computed Tomography (CT) and

Ultrasound (US)” the authors describe how skin markers

can be used on anatomical specimens to define planes

of section. After MRI, CT and ultrasound images were

obtained, the specimen was frozen and sectioned at 2

mm thickness. The slices were then plastinated using

the E12 technique, giving sections that exactly matched

the MRI, CT and ultrasound images (Entius et al., 1993)

(Fig. 9).

Volume 8, in 1994, came with a change in the Editorial

team. Dale Ulmer took over as Editor, and Bob Henry

joined the new-look Editorial Board, along with Vincent

DiFabio, Bill Richeimer, and William A. Gardner Jnr.

“Preparation Support”, another innovation, was provided

by Betty Clark and Rosemary Farmer.

Volume 9 (1995), with a suitably sunny cover picture

(Fig. 10), announced the dawn of a new day for

plastination, with the founding of the International

Society for Plastination as an official body. At the historic

4th Biennial Meeting, in Graz, Germany, Bylaws and a

Constitution for the ISP were written and adopted, and a

slate of Officers were proposed and elected, and the

Journal carried, for the first time, Letters from the newly-

elected President, Bob Henry, and the Editor, Dale

Ulmer.

The first-ever Editor’s letter, from Dale Ulmer, carried

this message: “I challenge each plastinator to contribute

one article yearly to our journal and help us advance our

organizational goals. As we learn – we grow.” A

message just as relevant today as it was in 1995.

The 8th International Conference on Plastination (the 5th

Biennial Meeting of the International Society for

Plastination) ventured, for the first time, to the Southern

Hemisphere, to the University of Queensland, Brisbane,

Figure 10. The dawn of a new era: The International Society for

Plastination is now an official body.

12 - Adds

Figure 11. Stained brain slices from Suriyaprapadilok

and Withyachumnarnkul (1997)

in Australia. Confusingly, the cover of Volume 10

featured a photograph showing the Sydney harbor

bridge and the Sydney Opera House. The abstracts from

the meeting were published in this issue, including “The

Use of Silicone Plastinated Specimens for Light and

Electron Microscopy” (Grondin et al., 1996), which

contained the following cryptic message: “if you can find

mistakes in this publication, please consider they are

there for a purpose. We publish something for everyone,

and some people are always looking for mistakes”!

In Volume 11 (1996), an article by Sharon Korbeck

entitled “A Pharaoh’s Farewell: the Making of a Mummy”

was reprinted with the permission of The National

Funeral Directors Association. In his Editor’s Letter, Dale

Ulmer wrote “While this process is not true plastination, it

is, however, a forerunner to the now popular process

that we as Plastinators now use. From time to time, I

believe it is good to examine and see the yester years”.

This passage reminded me of something Craig

Goodmurphy had said at the 15th Biennial Business

Meeting of the International Society for Plastination,

(Honolulu, July 2010): “…the objective of the Journal of

Plastination [should] be expanded to provide a medium

for the publication of scientific papers dealing with all

aspects of preservation of biological specimens including

plastination, sectional anatomy and other anatomical

techniques.” This is a very laudable aim, which had the

backing of the meeting and the Editorial Board. In fact,

as has been shown, the Journal has been doing that all

along, but it is good to be reminded from time to time of

the importance of the history, and range, of anatomical

techniques.

Volume 12 brought the first decade to a close in fine

style. The cover of Issue 1 featured stunning colour

photographs of stained plastinated brain slices (Fig. 11)

from Suriyaprapadilok and Withyachumnarnkul’s (1997)

paper “Plastination of Stained Sections of the Human

Brain: Comparison Between Different Staining Methods”.

Compare this to the cover of Volume 1! There had also

been a change

in the Editorial team, with Gilles Grondin taking over as

Editor, supported by an expanded, international Editorial

Board, of Pamela Arnold, Harmon Bickley, Robert

Henry, Steven Holladay, Larry Janick, Tage N. Kvist,

William Richeimer and Bill Wise from the USA, Russell

Barnett from New Zealand, Régis Olry from Canada, and

Andreas Weiglein, from Austria.

Issue 2 of Volume 12 was published in October 1997,

and included a typically wide-ranging mix of papers,

discussing both cutting-edge research, and the rich

heritage of anatomy. “Submacroscopic Interpretation of

Human Sectional Anatomy Using Plastinated E12

Sections” (Cook and Al-Ali, 1997), expanded on the

possibilities offered by E12 plastination in anatomy

education “The E12 process … has in effect filled a void

in undergraduate teaching. Students are provided with a

clear, unimpeded overview of the planes of the body

seen with a whole section…. providing a firm link

between macroscopic and microscopic anatomy” (Fig.

12).

While Cook and Al-Ali were looking to the future, Olry

and Motomiya (1997) looked back to the Renaissance

and beyond, with their paper “Paolo Mascagni, Ernest

Alexandra Lauth and Marie Philibert Constant Sappey

on the Dissection and Injection of the Lymphatics”. They

describe how the lymphatics were “discovered by

chance, misunderstood for a very long time, … the

subject of much controversy up to the early twentieth

century, when their accurate description was deemed

necessary to promote advances in oncology” (Fig. 13). It

is remarkable that the lymphatic system, though

apparently first described (albeit inaccurately) by

Erasistratus around 250 BC, was a source of continued

controversy up to the 20th century (the role of the


Figure 12. E12 sections. Clockwise from top left: coronal

head, right eye (magnified), axial thorax section, thoracic

wall (magnified), coronal shoulder section, nasal cavity

(magnified). From Cook and Al-Ali (1997).

Figure 13. Dissected (L) and injected (R) lymphatic vessels

by Rausch, 1665. From Olry and Motomiya (1997)

thymus, for example, was not fully understood until the

1960’s).

That seems a fitting way to conclude this survey of the

first decade of the Journal of Plastination – remembering

the past, while looking to the future. In closing, I would

like to take the opportunity to repeat the words of Dale

Ulmer, in the very first Editor’s letter “I challenge each

plastinator to contribute one article yearly to our journal

and help us advance our organizational goals. As we

learn – we grow”.

References

Baptista CAC, Conran PB: 1989: Plastination of the

heart: preparation for the study of the cardiac valves. J

Int Soc Plastination 3: 3-7

Baptista CAC, Skie M, Yeasting RA, Ebraheim N,

Jackson WT. 1989: Plastination of the wrist: potential

uses in education and clinical medicine. J Int Soc

Plastination 3: 18-21

Cook P, Al-Ali S. 1997: submacroscopic interpretation of

human sectional anatomy using plastinated E12

sections. J Int Soc Plastination 12(2): 17-27

Entius CAC, Kuiper JW, Koops W, de Cast A. 1993: A

new positioning technique for comparing sectional

anatomy of the shoulder with sectional diagnostic

modalities: magnetic resonance imaging (MRI),

computed tomography (CT) and ultrasound (US). J Int

Soc Plastination 7: 23-26

Graf J, Fromm B, Schneider U, Niethard FU. 1992: Early

morphological changes in chondromalacia patellae in

humans demonstrated with the plastination method. J Int

Soc Plastination 6: 25-28

Grondin G, Grondin GG, Talbot BG. 1996: The use of

silicone plastinated specimens for light and electron

microscopy. J Int Soc Plastination 10: 32

Guhr A, Mueller A, Anton H-W, von Hagens G, Bickley

H. 1987: Complete examination of mastectomy

specimens using sheet plastination with epoxy resin. J

Int Soc Plastination 1(1): 23-29

Henry RW. 1987: Plastination of an integral heart-lung

specimen. J Int Soc Plastination 1(2): 20-24

Lane A. 1990: Sectional anatomy: standardized

methodology. J Int Soc Plastination 4: 16-22

Lischka M, Prihoda M. 1987: Establishing and operating

a plastination laboratory at The Institute of Anatomy,

University of Vienna. J Int Soc Plastination 1(1): 12-16

Miller JR, Henry RW, Nader P, Engstrom MD, Iliff S,

Chereminskiy V, von Hagens G. 2017: The challenges of

plastinating a Blue Whale (Balaenoptera musculus)

heart. J Plast 29(2):22-29

14 - Adds

Myers B, Bickely H. 1990: Use of plastinated tissue in

the construction of holograms. J Int Soc Plastination. 4:

38-39

Olry R, Motomiya K. 1997: Paolo Mascagni, Ernest

Alexandra Lauth and Marie Philibert Constant Sappey

on the dissection and injection of the lymphatics. J Int

Soc Plastination 12(2): 4-7

Ostrom K. Fixation of tissue for plastination: general

principles. J Int Soc Plastination 1(1): 3-11

Plastination hologram

(https://www.gettyimages.com.au/detail/news-

photo/three-dimensional-hologram-of-a-plastinated-

couple-during-news-photo/98631343 (accessed 15/1/19)

Suriyaprapadilok L, Withyachumnarnkul B. 1997:

Plastination of stained sections of the human brain:

comparison between different staining methods. J Int

Soc Plastination 12(1): 27-32

Visible Human Project

https://infocus.nlm.nih.gov/2014/12/31/the-visible-

human-project-at-20/ (accessed 12/1/19)

Weiglein AH. 1993: Plastinated Brain Specimens in the

Anatomical Curriculum at Graz University. J Int Soc

Plastination 7: 3-7

The Journal of Plastination 30(2):15-18 (2018)

TECHNICAL REPORT

Establishing for the First Time the Use of the Standard S10 Technique for Plastination in The Sudan

MOHAMED AMA1

AHMED AA2

ADAM ASIA I2

ALI AM1

AND TAHA AAM2

1 Department of Anatomy,

College of Veterinary

Medicine, King Faisal

University, Al-Ahsa 31982,

Kingdom of Saudi Arabia1.

2-Department of Anatomy,

Faculty of Veterinary

Medicine, University of

Khartoum. PO Box: 32,

Postal code: 13314

Shambat, Khartoum North,

Sudan.

ABSTRACT:

Plastination is method for long-term preservation of biological tissue, to produce dry,

durable, convenient and natural looking specimens that are useful as a unique teaching

aid for anatomy, pathology, radiology and surgery. The present study describes, for the

first time, the plastination laboratory in the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of

Khartoum, Sudan. The standard Biodur ®S10 plastination technique was carried out in

formalin-fixed specimens of goat and donkey. They were first dehydrated in acetone.

Forced impregnation was then carried out using a vacuum chamber, and lastly, the

specimens were hardened in a gas curing chamber. Plastinated specimens were long-

lasting, and can be an important adjunct to traditional methods of teaching; they are

also excellent museum specimens.

KEY WORDS: acetone; formaldehyde; laboratory; museum; plastination; S10; Sudan * Correspondence to: Dr. Mohamed, A.M.A., Department of Anatomy, College of Veterinary Medicine, King Faisal University, Al-Ahsa 31982, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Mobile: +966530588021, email: [email protected]

Introduction

Plastination is the method of long-term preservation of

biological tissues with excellent surface details and high

durability. It was developed by Dr. Gunther von Hagens

in 1978 at the Heidelberg University in Germany (von

Hagens, 1979). Although it is difficult to prepare a well-

plastinated specimen, it is the most promising method to

preserve specimens as an alternative to formalin

preservation (Dawson, 1990).

In recent years, plastination has revolutionized the way

in which gross anatomy can be presented to students

(Latorre et al., 2007). Therefore, many Departments of

Anatomy in medical colleges throughout the world

started to establish plastination techniques in their own

laboratories (Briggs et al., 1997; Asadi, 1998; Reina-de

la Torre et al., 2004; Ali and Al-Thnaian, 2007; Suganthy

et al., 2012 and Sawad and Al-Asadi, 2014)

The aim of this study was to initiate and establish S10

plastination, in the plastination laboratory in the

Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine,

University of Khartoum, Sudan.

Materials and Methods

The standard Biodur® silicone S10 technique for

preservation of specimens in the laboratory of

plastination at the Department of Anatomy, Faculty of

Veterinary Medicine, University of Khartoum, Sudan,

was established in 2017. The laboratory was designed

according to the Plastination Technical Leaflets of

Heidelberg (Von Hagens, 1986). Financial resources

were obtained from the University of Khartoum, to

TECH

NIC

AL R

EPO

RT

16 – Mohamed, et al.

Figure 1: Plastination laboratory set-up, showing:

freezers (a) Bennert manometer (b) and separator (c).

Figure 2: Plastination laboratory set-up, showing gas

curing unit (a); stainless steel drums (b) and conveyor

pump (c).

Figure 3: Plastination laboratory set-up, showing

dehydration and impregnation containers.

promote new technologies in teaching anatomy in

faculties of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine in Sudan.

After the plastination lab had been set up, all specimens

for plastination were obtained from the Department of

Anatomy as follows: kidneys, hearts, spleen and liver,

from goats that had been infused with 10% formalin; and

heart and whole stomach from old donkey specimens

that had been fixed with 10% formalin for over a year.

For preparing specimens for plastination, the standard

silicone (S 10) method (von Hagens, 1979; 1986; von

Hagens et al., 1987) was used. The basic steps for

plastination technique are: specimen preparation,

dehydration & degreasing, impregnation, and curing.

Specimens were prepared, fixed with 10% formalin at

room temperature for 2 days, and then refrigerated at 4

°C for 24 hours. They were then dehydrated in cold

acetone (–25 °C) with three weekly changes to minimize

tissue shrinkage. After cold dehydration, the specimens

and acetone bath were brought to room temperature for

two days, for lipid removal. Forced impregnation was

then carried out, by placing the specimen into the

silicone polymer/catalyst S10/S3 mixture (100:1)

(Biodur®, Germany) in the vacuum chamber at -20 °C,

and gradually reducing the pressure. The final vacuum

ranged between 2 and 15 mmHg, and impregnation time

was four weeks.

Specimens were removed from the silicone bath, and

kept on a strainer at room temperature for 24 hours.

Specimens were then positioned in a gas curing

chamber containing S6 (Biodur®, Germany) in a small

glass container, at room temperature, for three weeks.

After the gas curing step, the specimens were ready to

use.

Results

The laboratory in the Department of the Anatomy had

been organized in order to host the plastination

production process. The total area of the laboratory is 52

m2 (3 rooms of different sizes), with large windows, and

extraction fans for providing adequate ventilation. The

freezers for dehydration are located in a separate room

(Fig. 1[a]) with a Bennert manometer (Fig. 1[b]) and

separator for oil and solvents (Fig. 1[c]); the freezer’s

compressors are located in another, adjacent, room of

the laboratory. The gas curing unit (Fig. 2[a]) is located

in the third room, with other necessary materials of the

plastination process: stainless steel drums (Fig. 2[b]),

conveyor pump (Fig.2[c]); and wire baskets, and

impregnation containers (Fig. 3).

Plastinated specimens of the goat: longitudinal section of

kidney (Fig. 4), liver (Fig. 5), cranio-lateral view for heart

(Fig. 6), longitudinal section for heart (Fig. 7), and spleen

(Fig. 8) were found to be quite similar to their natural

appearance, and kept their previous morphological

features, with minimal shrinkage. They were odorless,

durable, non-hazardous, easy-to-handle, formalin-free,

and life-like, and could be handled without a need for

personal protective equipment. In contrast, the

plastinated specimens of the donkey, longitudinal

section of the heart (Fig. 9) and whole stomach (Fig. 10),

were dark brown in color.

First Time S10 Plastination Technique in The Sudan - 17

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Figure 9

Figure 10 Figures 4 – 10 showing various S10 plastinated

specimens of goat: longitudinal section of kidney (4);

liver (5); cranio-lateral view of heart (6); longitudinal

section of heart (7); spleen (8); and donkey:

longitudinal section of heart (9) and whole stomach

(10).

18 – Mohamed, et al.

Discussion

The Faculty of Veterinary Medicine at the University of

Khartoum represents the first research laboratory in the

Sudan where plastination has begun to improve the

teaching in practical anatomy, and to reduce the

exposure to toxic fumes for teachers, technical staff and

students.

The preservation of anatomical specimens has been a

long-standing goal of anatomists, pathologists and other

medical educators (Baptista et al., 1989). In recent

decades, plastinated specimens are near ideal, and are

excellent for teaching gross anatomy and neuroanatomy

(where routine specimens are delicate and scarce).

Their anatomical structure is well preserved, and

appears like a fresh specimen (Henry, 2004).

The plastination laboratory at the Faculty of Veterinary

Medicine, University of Khartoum, has produced good

quality plastinated specimens for the first time in Sudan.

There were a limited number of unsuccessful

plastinates, where the specimens changed color to dark

brown, which was likely due to the old formalin-fixed

specimens, as reported by Miklošová and Mikloš (2004).

The good quality plastinated specimens are used as

anatomical specimens for education and for study, as

predicted by Dibal et al, (2018). It is also intended to use

the laboratory to train technicians in the techniques of

plastination, and to encourage higher degree students in

the area. Financial support for this laboratory was

obtained from the University of Khartoum, Sudan, to

improve the capabilities of the laboratories, and to aid

new technologies in teaching anatomy. The general

belief that production of plastinates is expensive needs

revision. Thus, future research should target the

development of fast and cost-effective techniques of

plastination.

References

Ali AM, Al-Thnaian TA. 2007: Preservation of ruminant

and equine anatomical specimens by silicone

plastination. Sci J King Faisal University (Basic and

Applied Sciences) 8:111- 119.

Asadi MH. 1998: Plastination of sturgeons with the S10

technique in Iran: the first trials. J Int Soc Plastination

13:15-16.

Baptista CAC, Skie M, Yeasting RA, Ebraheim N,

Jackson WT. 1989: Plastination of wrist: potential uses

in education and clinical medicine. J Int Soc Plastination

3:18-21.

Briggs CA, Robbins SG, Kaegi WH. 1997: Development

of an anatomical technologies laboratory. J Int Soc

Plastination 12:8-11.

Dibal NI, Garba SH, Jacks TW. 2018: Plastinates:

possible tool for medical education in the near future:

mini review. Res Dev Med Educ 7:3-7.

Dawson TP, James RS, Williams GT. 1990: How do we

teach pathology? Silicone plastinated pathology

specimens and their teaching potential. J Path 162:265-

272.

Henry RW. 2004: Polyester plastination techniques,

specific troubles and problems. Murcia, Spain, 12th

International Conference on Plastination.

Latorre RM, García-Sanz MP, Moreno M, Hernández F,

Gil F, López O, Ayala MD, Ramírez G, Vázquez JM,

Arencibia A, Henry RW. 2007: How useful is plastination

in learning anatomy? J Vet Med Educ 34:172-176.

Miklošová M, Mikloš V. 2004: Plastination with silicone

method S 10 – Monitoring and analysis cause of failure.

Biomed Papers 148: 237–238.

Reina-de la Torre F, Rodríguez-Baeza A, Doménech-

Mateu JM. 2004: Setting up a plastination laboratory at

the Faculty of Medicine of the Autonomous University of

Barcelona. Eur J Anat 8: 1-6.

Sawad AA, Al-Asadi FS. 2014: Establishing a

plastination laboratory at the College of Veterinary

Medicine, University of Basra, Iraq. J Plast 26:30- 33.

Suganthy J, Deepak Vinod Francis. 2012: Plastination

using standard S10 technique - our experience in

Christian Medical College, Vellore. J Anat Soc India 61:

44-47.

von Hagens G. 1979: Impregnation of soft biological

specimens with thermosetting resins and elastomers.

Anat Rec 194: 247- 255.

von Hagens G. 1986: Heidelberg plastination folder.

Collection of all technical leaflets for plastination. 2nd

Edn. Heidelberg, Anatomische Institut, Universität

Heidelberg.

von Hagens G. Tiedemann K, Kriz W. 1987: The current

potential of plastination. Anat Embryol 175:411-421.


Report of the 19th International Conference on Plastination.

Dalian, China, July 19 -July 22, 2018

By Sui, Hong-Jin

The 19th international conference of plastination was held in Dalian Medical University, Dalian, People’s

Republic of China (PRC). The conference commenced after the hands-on plastination training workshop held

at the Hoffen Biotechnique company. The workshop was attended by 34 people from nine countries. The

workshop was on the S10 plastination technique, and P45 sheet plastination. The participants testified that

P45 sheet plastination is relatively easy and produces good results.

Forty participants from fifteen countries attended the conference which was graced with posters and oral

presentations on plastination and research in plastination. At the oral presentations, new developments in

plastination on teaching, research and popular science were discussed. The Editor-in-Chief invited every

member of the International Society for Plastination to submit at least one paper a year in the Society’s

journal, The Journal of Plastination. The International Society for Plastination’s biennial Business Meeting was

not left out, it was held on Saturday, 21st July.

The participants will have a life-long memory of the Welcome party which was held in the world’s first

museum to display only plastinated collections, the ‘Mystery of Life Museum’. The participants dined in the

museum and had the opportunity to have a look at what the museum has to offer.

The participants visited the Department of Anatomy, Dalian Medical University, and where acquainted with

the Department’s teaching and student activities. They toured Dalian Hoffen, the world’s biggest and most

advanced plastination laboratory. There was also a tour around Lushunkou, which is a small historic town

where the University is situated. The Gala Night was another very memorable social activity, where the

participants enjoyed traditional Chinese opera, and tasted various Dalian sea foods, thereby having a feel of

the Chinese culture.


Abstracts Presented at the 19th International Conference of the ISP

Dalian, China

18-22nd July 2018

3-D VISUALISATION OF THE RETROBULBAR ORBITAL SEPTA USING BIODUR E12® AND BIOVIS-3D SOFTWARE

ADDS PJ, CHEUNG A

Institute of Medical and Biomedical Education (Anatomy), St Georges, University of London, London, UK

Introduction: The retrobulbar fat body in the orbit is supported by a network of collagenous septa that support the

ocular adnexa, and aid in coordinating precise eye movements. The exact anatomical nature of these septa and their

contribution in ocular motility are not completely understood, but they are thought to act as pulleys for the extra-

ocular muscles. This has implications for orbital pathology and surgery.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to create 3D models of the retrobulbar fat septa in the human orbit, using epoxy

resin and 3D serial reconstruction software, in order to compare the morphology of the septa in left and right orbits, and

between individuals.

Materials and Methods: Four formalin-fixed human orbits were dissected, decalcified, dehydrated in acetone at -20° C,

and impregnated in Biodur® E12 epoxy resin. Serial sections (0.3 mm) were cut with a slow-speed diamond saw, stained

with Gomori’s trichrome for elastin and collagen, and photographed with a digital SLR camera. BioVis3D software was

then used to create 3D models of the fat septa.

Results: This project generated four x 3D reconstructions of the connective-tissue fat septa, which could be rotated on

all axes. The individual reconstructed structures could be isolated and manipulated. Using 3D reconstructions and serial

histological sections, common characteristics and variations of connective tissue septa among different orbits were

described.

Conclusions: Orbits from the same individual were noted to share a similar arrangement and areas of condensation of

fat septa. Although sharing broadly similar morphology, the orbital septa of different individuals displayed variations in

thickness, density and fine arrangement. The results reported here could serve as the groundwork for defining the

normal anatomy of the septa, and for investigations into the clinical and surgical implications of the variations between

individuals.

This study received no outside funding.


ESTABLISHING A PLASTINATION LABORATORY MAY REDUCE RUNNING COSTS FOR THE VETERINARY ANATOMY

SECTION AT CVAS, JHANG, PAKISTAN

ANSARI AR

Section of Anatomy and Histology, Department of Basic Sciences, College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences (CVAS)

Jhang, University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences (UVAS), Lahore, Pakistan.

Introduction: Plastination is a laboratory preservation technique applied to specimens so that they can be used as

models in the study of anatomy, for both undergraduate education and research purpose. There are several limitations,

including financial constraints, in replacing traditional veterinary anatomy preservation and dissection with the

plastination technique in developing countries, because establishing such high-tech laboratories, equipped with costly

infrastructure, needs a lot of capital investment.

Materials and Methods: Animals can be purchased from the local market for preserving through the standard silicone

plastination technique, by following von Hagens’ previously described method.

Results: This technique may reduce the exposure to various harmful gases and toxic fumes, and provides fixed, non-

perishable, long-lasting veterinary anatomy specimens. After plastination, the preserved organs and animal bodies can

be used for undergraduate veterinary anatomy teaching for several years at the College of Veterinary and Animal

Sciences (CVAS), Jhang, Pakistan.

Conclusions: Hence, provision of equipment for plastination in the Anatomy Lab, CVAS, Jhang, will act as a double-edged

sword, because, on the one hand, it will protect the environment and health of veterinary anatomy professionals as well

as veterinary students, and on other hand, it will reduce the running costs and budget for the purchase of healthy and

expensive animals and toxic chemicals essentially needed for the dissection and embalming of equine, bovine, canine,

and avian species on a yearly basis.

Grant support: This work will be supported by Institutional Strengthening and Upgrade of Labs and Libraries number

HEC/ACAD/ISULL/2017/1323; the application is under processing.


PRE-IMPREGNATION RATE OF FAT REMOVAL BY ACETONE DURING PLASTINATION

DEZSE KE, BAPTISTA CAC

University of Toledo, College of Medicine and Life Sciences, Department of Medical Education,3000 Arlington Avenue,

Toledo, Ohio,43614-1721 USA

Introduction: It is well known in the plastination community that the dehydrating and defatting phases are not

determined by quantitative measurements. Samples are soaked in acetone for varying intervals of time while using the

scientist’s discretion to determine when and how often the acetone bath should be changed. This makes the process

susceptible to human error and an imperfectly dehydrated/defatted sample. To minimize this inevitable error,

measurements were taken to ascertain the rate of penetration for acetone on a given sample, which can be

corroborated by histological images. Additionally, the overall effectiveness of the acetone was measured by collecting

the total amount of fat released after a set time interval.

Materials and Methods: Four x 7.6 cm (three inch) cubes of fat were collected from the lower back of one cadaver, and

their weight recorded. The lower back was chosen because of its low concentration of vessels and nerves. Samples

were soaked in cold (-25o C) acetone, and then room temperature (25o C) acetone for 21 days each. Acetone was

changed at 7-day intervals, and the “dirty”/used acetone was collected and total fat content was determined using a

rotary evaporator, and recorded. After three cold changes of acetone, the samples were deemed to be dehydrated

(>99% purity of acetone, the “dehydration phase”). The samples were removed from the cold temperature into room

temperature for another 21 day soak (a “defatting phase”) with three x 7-day interval changes. The dirty acetone was

saved, and fat content determined using a rotary evaporator, and recorded. Total fat extraction was measured from the

acetone/fat-mix remaining in the evaporator (approximately 50 ml). This mix was placed in a fume hood to allow

complete evaporation of the acetone from the fat. Twenty-four hours later, the remaining fat was weighed and total fat

extraction was recorded.

Results: The initial weight of each sample was as follows: Sample 1: 107.14 g; Sample 2: 74.19 g; Sample 3: 105.47 g;

Sample 4: 83.68 g. Figure 1 illustrates the results of 42 days of acetone soaking. In order to compare the samples, the

weight of fat extracted was divided by the initial weight of the sample to give a percentage (range 0.38% to 38.46%,

dependent on time). The rate of change between each time interval was calculated by using the “% of fat extracted” as

data points. These K-values were then used to compile a line of best fit representing all four samples’ fat extraction rate

over time (Table 1).

Figure 1

Table 1


Discussion/Conclusion: Based on these data, several points can be concluded. Dehydration was complete after three

weeks and samples’ density was over 99%. This indicates that the samples are dehydrated, and defatting should be

started. This 21-day period is interesting because when you compare it to the defatting phase it disproves the initial

assumption that the defatting phase constitutes the majority of the fat loss. In other words, the dehydrating phase sees

more defatting than the actual defatting phase. This is supported by the fact that it takes seven less days to reach <10%

fat extracted. Additionally, it is concluded that the presence of density readings should be accompanied with each step

to ensure that dehydration and defatting is fully complete. Finally, we find that the plastination community should

adjust their procedures according to these findings in order to optimize aesthetic results and effectively save time. The

degree to which dehydration and defatting should be lengthened and shortened respectively, however, is still elusive

due to our samples not being representative of every potential plastinated specimen. Furthermore, we can safely say

that our goal for quantifying a “successful extraction of fat” was achieved and supported by density readings with the

change in slope of fat extraction. It is true that fat extraction can be proven quantitatively.

By collecting measurements of fat extraction during various times in the plastination process, this study provides

evidence of acetone’s efficiency in penetration of tissue samples. This offers incredible value to the plastination

community, because of the ability to point out where time and money can be saved, while also guaranteeing optimal

aesthetic quality of the tissues. This project also has the opportunity for extensive follow-up studies. Different

dehydrating/defatting agents and procedural techniques can be compared to the ones demonstrated in our study to

determine which is more effective. Samples can be taken from different locations on the body and from various organ

systems to show how different tissue compositions affect fat extraction. Studying changes in temperature during

different time intervals could also reveal further information on fat extraction. Finally, histological imaging should be

incorporated into this type of study. By coupling imaging with our study’s extraction data, we can observe cellular

changes as the fat concentration within the cell changes. There are a plethora of possible combinations to be explored,

and what we learn gives us the opportunity to perfect the plastination process and expand the plastination society’s

knowledge as a whole.


SILICONE-INJECTED CADAVERIC HEADS FOR NEUROSURGICAL DISSECTION

DHINGRA R1, MOCHAN S1, SOUBAM P2, MISHRA S2, LALWANI S3, SURI A2, MAHPATRA AK2, ROY TS1

1Department of Anatomy, 2Department of Neurosurgery, 3Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, All India

Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India

Introduction: Surgical simulation using cadaveric human heads is one of the most valid strategies, and is still considered

to be the gold standard for ex-vivo simulation among all the models available for neurosurgical training. The educational

value of these cadaveric heads for neurosurgical dissections can be enhanced by the injection of colored dyes in the

intracranial vascular tree. The knowledge of vascular anatomy, being integral to the all the neurosurgical procedures,

gets more clearly defined in these injected specimens. The technique of silicone injection in the cerebral vasculature of

human heads has been reported in the literature. However, the technique and materials for the injection of blood

vessels of cadaveric human heads in Indian conditions have not been standardized.

Materials and Methods: Four freshly-donated human cadavers were used. The technique of dye injection was

standardized in goat heads, and subsequently translated into humans. In the human cadavers, the carotid arteries and

internal jugular veins were dissected out from the carotid sheath, whereas the exposure of vertebral arteries required

deeper dissection of the neck. The arteries were then irrigated with warm normal saline till the returning fluid was clear

and free of blood. This was followed by perfusion with the embalming solution. The vessels were then clamped for 30

minutes to one hour. The silicone (red and blue) dyes were mixed with the catalyst, polymerization time was

standardized for the individual dyes and then injected into the common carotid arteries, vertebral arteries and the

internal jugular veins bilaterally. The injection was stopped once it was ensured that the entire vascular tree was filled

with the respective dyes. The cadavers were then decapitated after one week, and then immersed in fixation solution

consisting of 10% formalin and 20% ethanol, for 30 days.

Results: A small craniotomy was performed around the vertex of the cranium. The condition of the brain and quality of

the injection in the meningeal and cerebral vessels was observed. All the injected cerebral vessels, including external

and internal carotid arteries and their branches, along with the vertebro-basilar system, were filled with red silicone dye.

A well-opacified blue silicone dye was seen in the cerebral veins and dural venous sinuses. A favorable consistency of the

brain, without features of putrefaction, was observed. The brains were devoid of any disagreeable odor and could be

dissected for prolonged periods.

Conclusion: Self-curing silicone dyes injected in the cerebral vessels enhanced the educational potential of the human

cadavers, and served as a useful tool for the understanding of neurosurgical anatomical features, and learning various

surgical approaches.


STUDENT-TO-STUDENT TOURS AND THE MUSEUM OF PLASTINATES: ENGAGING THE NEXT GENERATION OF

HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS AND THE PUBLIC

GANGISETTY AS, SHULKA V, LEE D, BAPTISTA CAC

University of Toledo, College of Medicine and Life Sciences, Department of Medical Education,3000 Arlington Avenue,

Toledo, Ohio,43614-1721 USA

Introduction: The Student-to-Student (S2S) program was launched in March 1986 by happenstance after three medical

students showed a plastinated heart to a group of primary school children. Through this outreach program the medical

students would bring wet specimens into community schools for the educational benefit of elementary and secondary

students. The medical students agreed that this experience not only benefited the community schools, but also helped

medical students to learn speaking skills and gain confidence in meeting the public. The S2S program was very successful

but the excessive number of requests from the community schools made the coordination and availability of the medical

students impractical. The solution was to bring the school children to meet the medical students on the medical college

campus. Until 2013, medical students provided a presentation to the school groups in the gross anatomy lab, followed

by a demonstration of select plastinated specimens. With the creation of the Interactive Museum of Anatomy and

Pathology in 2013, the medical students were provided with a high-quality venue for the delivery of more structured

tours. The Plastination Museum was created to provide valuable educational resources not only for the University of

Toledo students in healthcare and related disciplines, but also for the public at large. It was also created with the

purpose of educating students in the Toledo school districts and vicinity. The Museum is located in the College of

Medicine, Health Science Campus, at the University of Toledo. The Museum provides a dynamic study and teaching

space. The Museum was named after Dr. Liberato DiDio, former chairman of the Department of Anatomy, and Dr. Peter

Goldblatt, former chairman of the Department of Pathology. The establishment of the Museum and its use will be

discussed.

Materials and Methods: The “construction” of the Plastination Museum started 20 years ago when several plastinated

specimens were created as a resource of didactic material to advance the teaching mission of the department of

anatomy. Monies received by the plastination laboratory’s specimen preparation services (for other institutions)

provided funding for the project. The original project budget rationale involved the following: relocating the plastination

lab to free up space for the museum, renovating the old space with painting, installation of an acoustic ceiling and tile

flooring, and the purchase of new wooden/glass display cabinets. The museum was constructed in three months and

now houses approximately 300 specimens comprising the anatomical and pathological collections of the College of

Medicine. Each cabinet was divided according to function (digestion, breathing, circulation, filtration, control, support,

development, and comparative). Each cabinet has an android tablet containing explanations of each specimen, thereby

providing a self-guided tour.

Results: The space allocated to the Museum, even though small, has been used appropriately by medical students and

other healthcare students and professionals. Thousands of high school students from the Northwest Ohio and southern

Michigan area have toured the Museum through the S2S Program. The S2S educational outreach program is organized

by 1st and 2nd year medical students, who coordinate the Museum tours. Since 2013, the number of community

students touring the Museum each year has increased as follows: 1,291 (2013-2014), 1,375 (2014-2015), 1,707 (2015-

2016), 1,981 (2016-2017) and 2,507 (2017-2018).

Conclusion: The Plastination Museum was created with a limited budget but has proven to be an excellent method for

housing the anatomical and pathological collections of the College of Medicine in a single location. The Museum has also

proven to be an enormous asset to educate community students and the general public on normal human anatomy and

diseases.


NEW PERSPECTIVES IN PRACTICAL LESSONS USING PLASTINATED PARASITES IN VETERINARY DEGREE

1GONZÁLVEZ M, 1ORTIZ J, 1RUIZ DE YBÁÑEZ R, 2LÓPEZ-ALBORS O, 2LATORRE R

1Department of Animal Health (Parasitology and Parasitic Diseases); 2Department of Anatomy and Comparative

Pathological Anatomy; Regional Campus of International Excellence “Campus Mare Nostrum”, University of Murcia,

Murcia, Spain.

Introduction: Plastinated specimens have been used as an education tool in different subjects, mainly related with

anatomy. However, few references exist about the plastination of parasites, most of them about the necessity of

changes in conventional plastination protocols.

Objectives: The goal of this study was to evaluate the use of plastinated parasites as an innovative teaching and learning

tool in parasitology practicals.

Materials and Methods: Seven different species of plastinated macroparasites were used: arthropods (Oestrus ovis);

nematodes (Parascaris equorum, Ascaris suum, Macracanthorynchus hirudinaceus) and platyhelminthes (Fasciola

hepatica, Dicrocoelium dendriticum, Taenia sp.). A set of 89 students were involved, all of them assessed for previous

background on the subject before any contact with the parasites. The experimental group of students used plastinated

specimens in the practicals, whereas the control group used conventional wet specimens (preserved in ethanol and

formaldehyde). After each practical session both groups were assessed with the same evaluation and also had the

opportunity to score their level of satisfaction with the material (plastinated or not).

Results: The scores relating to knowledge and satisfaction after practical sessions did not show statistically significant

differences between both groups (p>0.05). Most of the students in the experimental group highlighted the facility of

handling the plastinated specimens.

Conclusion: Plastination can be used to replace the traditional wet parasites in the practical sessions of Veterinary

Parasitology without a decrease in the students’ performing and evaluation scores. As has been already demonstrated in

other subjects such as Anatomy, this is an effective way of avoiding the traditional use of wet, irritant, toxic and even

carcinogenic chemicals in Parasitology.


ACCESSORY LIGAMENT OF THE DEEP DIGITAL FLEXOR TENDON IN THE HORSE FORELIMB. A FLUORESCENCE STUDY

WITH E12 PLASTINATED SECTIONS

GUILABERT R, LÓPEZ ALBORS O, JORDAN J, LATORRE R

Department of Anatomy and Comparative Pathology, Campus International Mare Nostrum, University of Murcia, Murcia,

Spain.

Introduction: The accessory ligament of the deep digital flexor tendon (AL-DDFT) is important for the correct function of

the horse forelimb. Recently, a lateral fibrous lamina, binding the AL-DDFT to the superficial digital flexor tendon (SDFT)

has been described by ultrasonography and MRI (FL-AL-DDFT). The main goal of this study was to describe its

topographic anatomy by E12 plastinated serial cross-sections. The low refractive index of the epoxy resin E12, with its

minimal shrinkage during polymerization, makes it the method of choice to study different tissues, in different planes of

sectioning, from macroscopic to microscopic levels. The absence of manipulation and decalcification ensures that the

topography of anatomical structures is unaffected. The removal of fat tissue allows connective tissue, blood vessels, and

nerves to be identified quite clearly, without suffering any manipulation.

Materials and Methods: Ten forelimbs from two adults and four yearlings were used. Dissection techniques and epoxy

(E12) transparent plastinated serial cross-sections were used to study in detail the topographical relationship between

the AL-DDFT with the SDFT. The thickness of the sections was 2 mm. Plastinated sections were scanned with 1200 dpi

resolution. Sections were studied under a Leica stereoscopic microscope. Plastinated collagen tissue had endogenous

autofluorescence (488-nm excitation). Differentiation among fibers was based on their anatomical distribution and

florescent intensity. A Nikon confocal scanning microscope was used to observe the plastinated sections. Thickness

frame of the optical sections used was 15 – 20 μm and 10X.

Results: At microscopic level the FL-AL-DDFT appears as a fibrous band in close association with the synovial membrane

of the common digital flexor vaina synovialis (CDFVS). The fibrous connective tissue includes some capillaries and

melanin pigment, and is likely to be covered by synovial epithelium at inner and outer sides. Thus, all along its proximo-

distal projection, the FL-AL-DDFT may establish a lateral compartment in CDFVS which has not been described in detail

so far. Further studies at higher (microscopic) magnification are required.

Conclusion: In addition to a mechanical bond between the AL-DDFT and the SDFT, the FL-AL-DDFT may be relevant for

the synovial compartment between the DDFT and SDFT, which must be considered in all the pathologies affecting the

function of the flexor component of the distal thoracic limb. Further studies are required, to further characterize the

anatomical features of the FL-AL-DDFT depending on the age, breed, or different types of lameness.


INFLUENCE OF SILICONE VISCOSITY IN TISSUE SHRINKAGE DURING THE PLASTINATION IMPREGNATION PHASE

1JUVENATO LS, 1MONTEIRO YF, 2,3BITTENCOURT APSV, 4BAPTISTA CAC, 1,2BITTENCOURT AS 1Department of Morphology, Federal University of Espirito Santo, Brazil, 2Biochemistry and Pharmacology Graduation

Program, Federal University of Espirito Santo, Brazil, 3Department of Physiology Science, Federal University of Espirito

Santo, Brazil, 4College of Medicine and Life Sciences, University of Toledo, Ohio, USA

Introduction: Impregnation is the most important step in the plastination process, and is decisive for good specimen

quality. The viscosity of the polymer is an important variable in the level of shrinkage observed during the impregnation

process. Because shrinkage is one of the disadvantages of the technique, several researches seek ways to circumvent or

reduce this retraction. The objective of this work was to test the influence of the viscosity of three different silicones on

the shrinkage during the forced impregnation process at different temperatures.

Materials and Methods: For this experiment, 24 bovine kidneys were used, which were previously fixed in 10% formalin

for one month, and were then organized into 2 groups: 12 for plastination at room temperature (RT) (25° C) and 12 for

plastination at low temperature (-15° C). The silicones used were: Poliplast 1 (P1) and Poliplast 10 (P10) (Polisil Silicones

Ltd.) and S10 (Biodur). Statistical analysis was performed using one way ANOVA followed by Duncan's post-hoc test or

by two way ANOVA. The level of significance was considered p <0.05.

Results: Comparing the three silicones of different viscosities, P10 showed the greatest shrinkage when used in the

impregnation, with a mean of 39% at room temperature and 42.5% at low temperature. This is due to the fact that it has

the approximate viscosity of 1250 mPas at 20° C (value supplied by the manufacturer), that is, the highest viscosity

among the compared silicones (2.5X more viscous than S10). It is known that the higher the viscosity, the slower the

speed at which the fluid moves, thus presenting a greater difficulty of penetrating the tissues. In the impregnation with

P10, the shrinkage was much more evident at low temperature. Silicone P1 presented the best results, since the mean

shrinkage was 4.75% at room temperature, and 15.5% at low temperature.

Conclusion: Polisil® P1 silicone appeared to be a good alternative to Biodur® S10 silicone, since it has a viscosity of at

least 4X at room temperature, and 3X at low temperature, making it a viable substitution silicone of reference, since its

cost of commercialization is more accessible in Brazil.

Grant Support: CNPq (458328/2013-8; 440729/2017-3); FAPES (5537479411); UFES-PROEXT and CAPES.


PRINCIPALS OF THE E12 TECHNIQUE

LATORRE R

Veterinary Anatomy and Comparative Pathology, University of Murcia, Spain.

The E12 technique was designed to preserve transparent body sections. Some technical aspects will now be emphasized

regarding the E12 protocol.

Sectioning of specimens:

Fresh or fixed specimens can be used. Vascular injections should be with epoxy instead of latex or silicone. The specimen

should be frozen at the lowest possible temperature, at least -70 or -80 °C before, to obtain the transparent sections.

Sections of 1.5-3 mm thickness are made with a band saw, and it is recommended to use dry ice or liquid nitrogen. The

use of -40 °C acetone during the cleaning of the sawdust prevents sections from thawing.

Dehydration by freeze substitution and defeating:

Dehydration of sections is carried out with cold acetone. Moreover, it is necessary to remove fatty tissue to get the

highest transparency. This is done with several baths in acetone or methylene chloride at room temperature.

Forced impregnation:

The impregnation solution employed consists of epoxy E12, plus the hardener E1. The dehydrated sections are

immersed in the impregnation mixture and forced vacuum is applied at room temperature for 6-12 h. Impregnation is

complete when the pressures reached are below 5 mmHg.

Polymerization:

Polymerization must be done immediately after finishing the impregnation, to prevent polymerization in the

impregnation chamber. Impregnated sections are introduced into flat glass chambers surrounded by E12+E1. The

polymerization agent is the temperature: 40 °C for 4-6 days, combined with the hardener E1. There are alternatives to

the flat glass chambers like the sandwich method, which saves time and is easier.


RESULTS OF A RECENT SURVEY ABOUT ACTIVE PLASTINATION LABS

LATORRE R1, BAPTISTA C2, HENRY R3, TUNALY S4, STARCHIK D5, SUI H-J6, LÓPEZ ALBORS O1

1 Department of Anatomy and Comparative Pathology, Veterinary Faculty, University of Murcia, Spain, 2 Department of

Medical Education, College of Medicine, University of Toledo, Toledo, Ohio, USA, 3College of Veterinary Medicine, Lincoln

Memorial University, Seymour, Tennessee, USA, 4 Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, TOBB University of

Economics and Technology, Ankara, Turkey, 5International Morphological Centre, Saint Petersburg, Russia, 6 Department

of Anatomy, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China

This survey was addressed to the plastination community registered in the database of the ISP, and the historical list of

participants in the workshops held in Murcia (Spain). The survey was open for a month (May 2018), submitted to 592

people (academics and technical staff), and answered by 62. Results showed that most participants were academics

(61%), males (61.3%) and currently active in plastination techniques (74.2%). Around 66 % were members of the ISP, and

at least 50% of them had been involved with plastination for a minimum of 5 years. However, 40 % of the participants

never attended ISP conferences, or just once (20%). Plastination is mainly carried out in anatomy labs (36.8% human,

23.2% vets), but also in other venues or with other materials: museums (15.8 %), zoology labs (8.4%), fungi, flowers, etc.

There is still a great interest in plastination workshops, especially those focused on advanced topics such as vascular

injection, plastination of hollow and flexible organs, brains, clinical applications, and the research potential of

plastination. Other suggested topics were: different methods of sectioning and casting in sheet plastination, brain

reconstruction with P40 slices, staining of ultrathin epoxy slices, typical mistakes in plastination, and plastination for

educational purposes. In conclusion, there is a need to define a strategy aimed at improving the coupling of the active

plastinators with the ISP; plastination is quite well consolidated in non-anatomical fields; and there is an important

potential for workshops focused on advanced topics in plastination.


A WORKFLOW UTILIZING PLASTINATIONS FOR VISUALIZING AND ANNOTATING X-REALITY ANATOMICAL MODELS

WITH HEAD MOUNTED AND CONSOLE BASED TECHNOLOGIES

LOZANOFF S, THOMPSON J, HONG TM, LOZANOFF BK, LABRASH S

Department of Anatomy, Biochemistry, and Physiology, University of Hawaii, John A. Burns School of Medicine,

Honolulu, HI, USA

Objectives: Plastinated anatomical specimens are very useful as educational instruments. However, utilization in self-

directed learning activities remains problematic since plastinations cannot be easily annotated. Augmented reality (AR)

may provide a novel method to enable visualization and annotation of plastinated specimens. The purpose of this study

was to develop an annotation system within an AR environment facilitating the use of labeled plastinated specimens.

Materials and Methods: A plastinated heart was imaged using a photogrammetry system. The digital model was

polished using Z-brush software and then imported and processed using Vuforia software within the Unity3D engine.

The 3D digital model of the plastination was converted into target points that recognized and tracked the heart in real

time. Annotations could be added directly onto the tracked object within the Unity environment. In conjunction with a

smartphone or head-mounted display (HMD) such as the Microsoft Hololens, plastinations could be supplemented with

annotations or additional contextual information within a text box display. The annotated virtual model can also be

used for X-Reality applications as well as 3D printing.

Results: Results showed tight correspondence between the heart and associated annotations. The student could

physically handle the plastinations while simultaneously visualizing the annotations and supplemental text box

information. Qualitative comments among students indicated that they could utilize the models independently or in

small groups, facilitating independent learning.

Conclusion: While such workflows were originally meant for CAD models and gaming, our application of

photogrammetric methodologies enable real world plastinations to be overlaid with virtual assets and information. This

AR tool in conjunction with plastinated resources may also be useful in clinical training sessions or museum displays.

Work is being directed at developing quantitative tools to assess the educational usefulness of AR annotated

plastinations.


INFLUENCE OF THE TEMPERATURE ON THE VISCOSITY OF DIFFERENT TYPES OF SILICONE

1MONTEIRO YF, 1JUVENATO LS, 2,3BITTENCOURT APSV, 2SIQUEIRA BMM, 2MONTEIRO FC, 4BAPTISTA CAC, 1,2BITTENCOURT

AS

1Department of Morphology, Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo, Brazil, 2Biochemistry and Pharmacology

Graduation Program, Federal University of Espirito Santo, Brazil, 3Department of Physiology Science, Universidade

Federal do Espírito Santo, Brazil, 4College of Medicine and Life Sciences, University of Toledo, Ohio, USA

Introduction: The term silicone, or polysiloxane, describes mixed polymers of organic and inorganic materials, whose

crude formula is [R2SiO]n, where ‘R’ are organic groups such as methyl, ethyl and phenyl. The main silicone used in the

plastination process is polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), referring to linear polymers, where the organic radical is methyl.

One of the main external factors influencing the viscosity of a silicone is the temperature. The objective of this work

was to test the influence of temperature on the viscosity of three silicones of different molecular weights (Biodur® S10,

Polisil® P10 and P1), commonly used in the plastination technique.

Materials and Methods: For this study, the RheolabQC model rotational rheometer was used to measure the dynamic

viscosities of the chosen polymers at the following temperatures: -5, 0, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, and 35° C. From the 9

measurements of viscosities obtained from each sample, a viscosity vs. temperature graph was constructed. The

equation of the dynamic viscosity curve of each polymer was analyzed.

Results: Poliplast® 1 silicone had a much lower viscosity compared to other silicones (about 80 mPa.s at 25° C and 550

mPa.s at -25 ° C). Poliplast® 10 silicone presented the highest viscosity of the polymers analyzed (approximately 1180

mPa.s at 25° C and 3730 mPa.s at -25° C). The Biodur® S10 silicone showed an intermediate viscosity (about 410 mPa.s

at 25° C and 1500 mPa.s at -25° C). The different viscosities found in the tested silicones are determined by the degree

of polymerization. The larger the silicone chain (P10> S10> P1), the more intermolecular bonds are made with adjacent

molecules and thus the less fluidity of the chain.

Conclusion: We conclude that Polisil® P1 silicone presented the best physico-chemical characteristics of the tested

silicones for plastination, because it has high fluidity and low viscosity. It is noteworthy that the viscosity of Polisil® P1 in

cold impregnation temperature (-15° C) is still lower than the viscosity of the Biodur® S10 (control) at room

temperature (20-25° C). We also conclude that knowledge of the intrinsic and extrinsic physicochemical characteristics

of the silicone, and its dynamic viscosity is helpful in choosing the ideal silicone for use in the cold or room temperature

plastination techniques.



ENHANCING EFFECTIVE AND INNOVATIVE LEARNING IN ANIMAL ANATOMY DAF200

1OLIVIER W, 2VAN MARLE-KὅSTER, E

1Department of Anatomy and Physiology, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Onderstepoort 2Department of Animal & Wildlife Sciences, University of Pretoria, Gauteng, South Africa

Animal science consists of three major disciplines, namely: animal physiology, animal breeding, and genetics and animal

nutrition. Animal anatomy and physiology (DAF200) is presented as a year module where practical sessions make up an

important part of presentation and learning, as students need to observe and experience hands-on the texture,

conformation, and anatomical organization, including splanchnology and topography of the animal body, for an

improved understanding. Furthermore, reproduction physiology is presented on a third-year level, and students need to

handle the reproductive organs before techniques such as artificial insemination can be practised on live animals.

Approximately 120 and 75 students annually need to be taught in the anatomy and reproduction physiology modules,

respectively.

In the past, dissected material was preserved in formalin, posing health hazards for both lecturer and students. This has

been replaced with dissection of fresh cadavers for the past decade, but this practice has become costly, and has animal

welfare implications, which can be regarded by some as unnecessary slaughtering and a waste of used carcasses. The

use of fresh material may also pose other potential health risks to students and lecturers, such as Rift Valley fever or

brucellosis.

In 2017, the Department of Animal & Wildlife Sciences decided to decrease the number of practical sessions on

slaughtered sheep, due to costs and concerns with animal welfare and health risks. This has implications for effective

learning outcomes, which led to the investigation of alternative methods to enhance future teaching and learning.

A project is underway where the different organs will be plastinated to be used during practical sessions. To enhance

teaching and learning, plastinated organ specimens and even complete cadavers have become commonplace in human

and veterinary faculties. In this project the various models will be developed, for example for the complete digestive

system and reproductive system. An Anatomy Model Teaching Room is envisaged, representing the anatomy sections

required for the modules presented by the department of Animal and Wildlife Science.

The use of plastinated specimens holds a number of advantages, including more effective hands-on teaching, fewer

health risks for students and lecturers, more cost-effectiveness in the long-term. It will provide a sustainable alternative

for practical teaching of anatomy and physiology in the Animal Sciences.


COMPARISON OF BACTERIA ISOLATED IN THE ANATOMICAL LABORATORY AND OTHER BIOMEDICAL LABORATORIES

IN THE MEDICAL FACULTY OF MUHAMMADIYAH UNIVERSITY OF PURWOKERTO, INDONESIA

1PUTRA RAN, 1PUTRI PM, 2FEBRIYANTI RW, 3PANGESTIKA TR

1Anatomy Department, Universitas Muhammadiyah Purwokerto, Indonesia, 2Microbiology Department, Universitas

Muhammadiyah Purwokerto, Indonesia, 3Undergraduate student of the Medical Faculty, Universitas Muhammadiyah

Purwokerto, Indonesia

Background: Infectious diseases are still in the top 10 causes of death in the world. The laboratory is a specific

environment for the development of infectious bacteria. The anatomical laboratory, as a cadaver preparation area, plays

an important role in the development of bacteria that can cause laboratory-acquired infection. Comparisons of bacterial

isolates detected in the anatomical laboratory, and other biomedical laboratories, have not hitherto been widely known.

Objectives: To compare the bacterial isolates from the anatomical laboratory and other biomedical laboratories, at the

Medical Faculty of Muhammadiyah University of Purwokerto, Indonesia.

Materials and Methods: The sampling technique used the settle plate method for environmental monitoring. Samples

were taken with 5-point surface swabs from the anatomical laboratory and other biomedical laboratories (Histology,

Microbiology and Clinical Pathology Laboratories) at the Medical Faculty, Muhammadiyah University of Purwokerto.

Samples were grown on blood agar, nutrient agar and MacConkey agar, and then subjected to Gram staining and

biochemical tests. Bacterial isolate data were analyzed descriptively.

Results: The total number of samples for this study was 20 samples. The bacteria identified were Staphylococcus aureus,

coagulase-negative staphylococci, Pseudomonas sp., Enterobacter sp., Vibrio vulnificus, Aeromonas hydrophila, E. coli,

Enterobacter intermedius, Klebsiella pneumonia, Serratia fonticola and Streptococcus sp. The Microbiology Laboratory

had the highest contamination (63 colonies), while the Anatomical Laboratory was in third rank (17 colonies). The

bacterial isolates found varied per laboratory. Vibrio vulnificus was the dominant bacterium in the Anatomical

Laboratory (41.6% of 17 colonies), unlike the Histology Laboratory (Enterobacter intermedius), the Microbiology

Laboratory (Pseudomonas sp.) and the Clinical Pathology Laboratory (Enterobacter intermedius).

Conclusion: Different bacterial isolates were found in each laboratory. The Anatomical Laboratory was dominated by

Vibrio vulnificus, in contrast to the other three biomedical laboratories.


COMPARISON OF BACTERIA NUMBER BETWEEN THE ANATOMICAL LABORATORY AND OTHER BIOMEDICAL

LABORATORIES IN THE MEDICAL FACULTY OF MUHAMMADIYAH UNIVERSITY OF PURWOKERTO, BEFORE AND AFTER

DISINFECTION WITH 70% ALCOHOL

1PUTRA RAN, 1PUTRI PM, 2FEBRIYANTI RW, 3PANGESTIKA TR

1Anatomy Department, Universitas Muhammadiyah Purwokerto, Indonesia, 2Microbiology Department, Universitas

Muhammadiyah Purwokerto, Indonesia, 3Undergraduate Student of Medical Faculty, Universitas Muhammadiyah

Purwokerto, Indonesia

Background: The laboratory is a specific environment for the growth of pathogenic and non-pathogenic bacteria. The

anatomical laboratory, as a cadaver preparation area for medical students’ practicals, can be a route for bacterial

transmission. Disinfection is a useful process to reduce bacterial contamination, using chemicals such as 70% alcohol, to

prevent bacterial transmission.

Objectives: To compare the number of bacteria between the anatomical laboratory and other biomedical laboratories,

of the Medical Faculty of Muhammadiyah University of Purwokerto, Indonesia, before and after disinfection with 70%

alcohol.

Materials and Methods: Duplicate samples were taken from the anatomical laboratory and other biomedical

laboratories (Histology, Microbiology, and Clinical Pathology Laboratories) in the Medical Faculty of Muhammadiyah

University of Purwokerto. The first and second samples were taken from the surface swab of each sampling point before

and after disinfection. Samples were grown on blood agar, nutrient agar and McConkey agar, and then subjected to

Gram staining and biochemical tests. Data of bacterial number differences before and after disinfection were analyzed

using a paired t-test, while data of bacterial number comparison between each laboratory was analyzed by using an

independent t-test and Mann Whitney test.

Results: The average number of bacteria before disinfection was higher than after disinfection. The difference between

the two groups is very significant (p = 0.010, p <0.05). The Clinical Pathology Laboratory had the highest bacterial

contamination, and the Histology Laboratory had the lowest bacterial contamination. There was no bacterial number

difference between the Anatomical Laboratory and the other biomedical laboratories (p> 0.05).

Conclusion: The disinfection procedure is useful in reducing bacterial contamination. There was no significant bacterial

number difference between the Anatomical Laboratory and other biomedical laboratories. The number of bacteria in

the Anatomy Laboratory was not higher than the Clinical Pathology Laboratory and the Microbiology Laboratory.


COMPARISON OF FIXATIVE SOLUTIONS AND THEIR INFLUENCE ON PLASTINATION PROTOCOLS IN HEPATIC,

MUSCULAR AND ARTERIAL TISSUE

1RAMOS ML, 1DE PAULA TAR, 2SARRIAS L, 2ALBORS OL, 2LATORRE RM

1 Department of Veterinary Medicine, Federal University of Viçosa, Brazil, 2 Department of Anatomy and Comparative

Pathology, University of Murcia, Spain.

Introduction: Plastination allows the use of specimens for histology purposes, but there are no references regarding

specific results of different tissues. The objective of this study is to investigate if plastinated tissue samples from artery,

liver and skeletal muscle can be used for routine histology, and how the fixation and plastination protocol used can

influence the results.

Materials and Methods: Nine tissue samples from each organ (artery, liver and skeletal muscle) were fixed with three

different solutions. Group I: 10% formalin; Group II: 2.5% formalin and Group III: Cambridge solution (an alcohol-based

fluid containing phenol). Two samples from each group were plastinated with Biodur S10 technique, half of them cured,

with the standard protocol, and the other half uncured (without curing). Sodium methoxide was used for the

deplastination protocol. After deplastination, samples were paraffin-embedded for histology. Microtome sections were

stained with H&E. The last sample from each group was a control sample, these were not plastinated, and processed

following the classical histology protocol. During evaluation of results, each section was assigned an overall score based

on the histological quality of the cellular components of the tissue. Sections were scored from 1 to 3 (1, good; 2,

satisfactory/useful; 3, poor).

Results: Satisfactory sections were obtained from all tissues. The control sample from group I (formaldehyde 10%)

resulted in consistently good quality of the tissue histology. Control samples from groups II and III resulted in

consistently useful quality sections. In Group I, fixed with formaldehyde 10%, artery and skeletal muscle produced useful

slides, and liver produced poor slides. In Group II, fixed with formaldehyde 10%, artery produced good slides, liver and

skeletal muscle produced poor slides. For Groups I and II, fixed with Cambridge solution, artery produced poor slide

quality, liver and skeletal muscle produced useful slides.

Conclusion: The tissues have different behaviors with different fixatives and plastinated protocols.


HISTOLOGICAL EVALUATION OF SILICONE PLASTINATED SAMPLES PROCESSED UNDER DIFFERENT CONDITIONS.

1RAMOS ML, 1DE PAULA TAR, 2SARRIAS L, 2ALBORS OL, 2LATORRE RM

1 Department of Veterinary Medicine, Federal University of Viçosa, Brazil, 2 Department of Anatomy and Comparative

Pathology, University of Murcia, Spain.

Introduction: Plastinated specimens can be used for light microscopy studies by means of deplastination techniques to

obtain histological slides. The results of these deplastination techniques are susceptible of several improvements. One of

them would be to minimize the negative effect of the fixation. On the other hand, previous authors have described a

better preservation of the histological structure when the curing step from plastination protocol is avoided. Therefore,

this study aims to assess the effect of several different fixation solutions, as well as the use of curing during plastination,

on the histological structure of silicone-plastinated samples.

Materials and Methods: Twelve samples from each of the following nine organs: artery, esophagus, liver, small

intestine, large intestine, skeletal muscle, nerve, pancreas, and trachea, were used for this study; in total 108 samples.

Samples from each organ were divided into three groups (four samples each) depending of the fixative solution used.

Group I: samples fixed with formaldehyde 10%; Group II: samples fixed with 2.5% formaldehyde, and Group III: samples

fixed with Cambridge embalming solution. After fixation, tissue samples were plastinated using the S 10 Biodur® silicone

technique, however, each group was divided into two subgroups, depending on whether samples were cured or not,

with two samples per organ in each subgroup. After the plastination process, tissues were deplastinated using sodium

methoxide. After deplastination, specimens were processed for paraffin embedding. Sections were stained with routine

H & E. The histology preservation was evaluated using a scale of 1 to 3, being: “1” the absence of morphological

changes, good morphology; "2" minor morphological alteration; "3" intense morphological change.

Results: Tissues from groups I and III, fixed with 10% formaldehyde solution or with Cambridge solution and curing

protocol, demonstrated the best histological results under light microscopy (P˂0.05). Similar results (P˂0.05) were

observed in the slides obtained from uncured specimens of these two groups. Tissues from group II, fixed with 2.5%

formaldehyde, cured or uncured, produced histological slides of level 3, with intense morphological changes, compared

with groups I and III (P˂0.05).

Conclusion: Plastinated specimens fixed with either 10% formaldehyde or Cambridge solution have a good histological

preservation after deplastination. The curing step during the plastination procedure does not affect the histological

results.

Grant support: Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior – CAPES - Brasil.


NEAR FIELD COMMUNICATION (NFC) DEVICES AND PLASTINATION: AN INTEGRATED TUTORIAL SYSTEM TOOL FOR

SELF-DIRECTED LEARNING

ROSOLOWSKI BL, TENBRINK P, BAPTISTA CAC

University of Toledo, College of Medicine and Life Sciences, Department of Medical Education, 3000 Arlington Avenue,

Toledo, Ohio, 43614-1721 USA

Introduction: The purpose of integrating Near Field Communication (“NFC”) with plastination is to provide students with

a self-directed learning tool that offers intelligible flexibility for the study of anatomy. The objective of this learning tool

is to offer students an interactive learning environment outside of the usual academic setting. This self-directed learning

tool allows students to point at different parts of the plastinated anatomical specimen, which are tagged with smart

chips, directing students to a web-page that presents a description of the specific anatomical muscle, nerve, or artery to

which the NFC wand or smartphone is directed.

Materials and Methods: An application was designed to integrate the NFC reader, NFC tags, smartphones, Android

tablet devices, and plastinates. The NFC is a set of standards for radio communication between tablets, smartphones

and similar devices that allows communication with each other by proximity or touch. We used a vWand

(SistelNetworks) in order to provide NFC connectivity for the Android tablet using Bluetooth connection. This wand

allowed flexibility and uniformity within the system. Fifteen structures were identified in silicone- plastinated brain

slices. Each anatomical description was entered in HTML format and stored as a webpage in the server. An NFC tag was

attached to each structure and the URL web address of each structure was written into the tag using a vWand Pro

Android app. When the tag was read by the vWand, an application launched the web browser containing a link to the

webpage with the anatomical description of the structure. Similar techniques can be used with a smartphone by

downloading an NFC Reader application. The smartphone will use its NFC reader to detect the NFC smart-chip tags on

the plastinate. The smartphone will then open the URL containing the desired information within the NFC Reader

application. The integration of the smartphone will allow for flexibility and convenience.

Results: The prototype consisted of 15 NFC tags implanted in multiple brain slices. Each tag when opened corresponded

to a URL containing the description of the structure.

Conclusions: The NFC device is a platform for self-directed learning that integrates plastinates with digital technology,

providing flexibility for the study of anatomy and pathology outside the usual academic settings. In addition, it provides

an interactive environment, structure, and guidance to the student, and a powerful educational tool to promote

meaningful learning through the integration of words, sounds and visuals.


PLASTINATION OF BOVINE EYES AT ROOM TEMPERATURE

SAVOINI EH

Department of Biology, Yavapai College, Arizona, USA

Introduction: Bovine eyes are used for dissection in a wide range of anatomy courses. Use of plastinated bovine eyes

will have long-term cost and time benefits for the institution and instructor.

Materials and Methods:

Acquisition& Preservation

Bovine eyes (10) were obtained from slaughter within 1-4 hours from the time of death. The optic nerve and ocular

muscles were exposed via dissection. Eyes were placed in an aqueous solution (40% ethanol and 10% formalin

concentrate) for 14 days, and rinsed in a circulating water bath for 2 days.

Dehydration

An 18 gauge needle was inserted through the sclera into the posterior chamber approximately 1 cm posterior to the

edge of the cornea. A second 18 gauge needle, attached to a 10 ml syringe, was inserted into the posterior chamber on

the opposite side. Some vitreous humor (2-5 ml) was removed and discarded. Acetone (>98%) was injected into the

posterior chamber via the syringe, positioned so that the acetone entered the eye from the bottom, with the first

needle, at the top, as a vent. Acetone injection ceased when it began to spill out of the top needle. Acetone-filled eyes,

with both needles inserted, were placed in a bucket of acetone (>98%) for 10 days, after which, each eye was

reinjected/flushed with 10 ml of acetone (>98%) through the bottom needle, with old acetone escaping via the top

needle. Eyes were placed into another bucket of acetone (>98%) for 10 days, repeating for a total of four cycles.

Impregnation

A mixture of silicone polymer (North Carolina Silicones, NCS-X) and 3% catalyst (North Carolina Silicones, NCS-III) was

injected into the posterior chamber of each eye as acetone had been previously. Eyes were then submerged in the

polymer-catalyst mixture and placed into a vacuum chamber, at room temperature. Pressure was decreased from

atmospheric to 20 mmHg, over 5 days.

Dissection & Curing

Eyes were removed from the chamber and allowed to drain (2-7 days). The lateral surface of the posterior chamber was

cut with a scalpel. The now opaque and gelatinous vitreous humor was delicately removed, leaving the retina intact and

lens in place. Eyes were placed with the opening downward on an absorbent cloth, to allow the posterior chamber to

drain (2 days), then placed inside an enclosure with vaporized NCS-VI (North Carolina Silicones) for 12 hours. Eyes were

turned over and exposed to NCS-VI for another 12 hours, then removed.

Results: Dissection after silicone polymer impregnation of bovine eyes provided the best means to maintain placement

of the retina and lens.

Conclusions: Plastinated bovine eyes are a useful tool in any anatomy course, due to the same general gross anatomy

features as human eyes, but are large enough to easily visualize structural features. They are commonly available fresh

from slaughter, and produce excellent plastinated specimens.


PLASTINATION OF LARGE MAMMAL KNEES

SAVOINI EH

Department of Biology, Yavapai College, Arizona, USA

Introduction: Plastinated knees that retain the ability to flex and extend are a significant improvement over rigid

cadaver knees or plastic models.

Methods:

Acquisition& Preparation

Elk knees were obtained from a slaughterhouse. Connective tissue, remaining muscle, and most of the periosteum was

removed to expose the ligaments of the knee. Tubing was placed between the medial and lateral collateral ligaments

and their respective medial and lateral condylar surface of the femur. The tubing was to prevent the ligaments from

shortening during the dehydration process.

Dehydration

After dissection, knees were placed in the first acetone bath (>98%) for 10 days, followed by three more changes of

acetone (>98%) baths, each 10 days in duration.

Impregnation

Knees were submerged within in a mixture of silicone polymer (North Carolina Silicones, NCS-X) and 3% catalyst (North

Carolina Silicones, NCS-III) and placed in a vacuum chamber at room temperature. Pressure was reduced incrementally

from atmospheric pressure to 20 mmHg over 5 days.

Curing& Flexing

Knees were removed from the polymer-catalyst mixture. Gripping the femur and tibia, knees were made to flex and

extend several times. Knees were flexed and extended daily for 5-7 days and then every 2-3 days over two weeks. After

3 months, knees were cured by exposure to the cross-linker (North Carolina Silicones, NCS-VI) overnight inside a sealed

chamber.

Results: Flexion and extension abilities of large mammal knees were achieved by placing the fresh tissue directly into

acetone without prior fixation with formalin, moving the knee daily after impregnation, and delaying the curing process

by several months.

Conclusions: Large mammal knees are ideal for human anatomy joint lessons because of their large menisci and thick

ligaments. The size of the elk knee is larger than human knees, and does not have a fibula. The health and integrity of

the ligaments are superior to most of the knees from aged human donors.


SMALL-SCALE, INEXPENSIVEACETONE DISTILLATION AND PURIFICATION

SAVOINI EH, SMOLENYAK P

School of Engineering and Science, Yavapai College, Arizona, USA

Introduction: In the initial stages of a plastination laboratory set-up, purchase of a solvent recycler for acetone may be

as cost prohibitive as purchasing large quantities of acetone. A distillation apparatus assembled from typical laboratory

equipment and standard organic ground glass jointware provides a cost effective way to recover pure acetone.

Methods:

Vacuum Filtration

Dirty, used acetone from specimen baths was placed in a bucket in a freezer (<-15° C) overnight. The cold, dirty acetone

was vacuum filtered to remove solidified lipid and specimen debris.

Fractional Distillation

The vacuum-filtered acetone was placed in the distillation apparatus. The fractionating column was fashioned from a 30

cm Leibig condenser loosely packed with wire from a stainless steel kitchen scouring pad. The vertical condenser

connected via a vacuum adapter minimized the hood space required for the apparatus. Fitting the heating flask with a

Claisen adaptor provided easy access for the addition of acetone with minimal disassembly. The heating mantle

accommodated a 2000 mL round-bottom flask providing sufficient volume for processing on a convenient scale that

required minimal attention. Condenser cooling was provided by circulating ice water with an inexpensive aquarium

pump.

Purification

Distilled acetone was placed into 4 L flasks with 1 L of 3 Å molecular sieves, and left for 12-24 hours.

Results: The three-step process from water-fat-debris-containing acetone to >99% pure acetone took a total of 2 days

for 6-8 L. Fractional distillation produced approximately 1 L per hour of acetone (96-98% purity) and >90% recovery of

available acetone. After exposure to the molecular sieves, acetone achieved >99% purity.

Conclusions: This method produces 6-8 L of pure acetone (>99%) per day, to accommodate the smaller volumes, cost-

constraints, and space limitations of a small-scale plastination lab.


SOFT PLASTINATION METHOD FOR PREPARATION OF FLEXIBLE TEACHING MODELS

SAWAD AA

College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Basrah, Basrah, Iraq

At the college of veterinary medicine, University of Basrah, the ambition was to produce low-cost educational

anatomical specimens, using local materials that are easy to use and inexpensive, that are useful for dissection, and

reduce the formalin exposure hazard. In order to confront these problems, a new soft plastination method was modified

to obtain flexible, clean, curable, odorless, portable and non-toxic specimens that can be kept for long durations without

deterioration. The advantages of this process are that it can be managed at room temperature by local inexpensive

materials, and it can be accomplished with little experience in co-operation with the silicone plastination method.

Students found the use of soft plastination specimens in the dissection room to be helpful in anatomical education, and

it is a good and enjoyable method that improved understanding of anatomy, biology, embryology, and their related

sciences.


COMPARING EPOXIES BIODUR® E12 AND E12A FOR SHEET PLASTINATION

SCHILL VK

BIODUR® Products GmbH, Im Bosseldorn 17, 69126 Heidelberg, Germany

In this study, epoxy resins BIODUR® E12 and BIODUR® E12A were compared with regard to their use in sheet plastination.

While E12 is a well-established epoxy resin, E12A has been developed recently in order to obtain an epoxy especially

suited for the flat chamber method.

Slices of approx. 3 mm thickness were plastinated using BIODUR® E12 or E12A in combination with hardener E1. The

plastinated slices were cast either in a flat chamber or between sheets of polyester foil for the drain (sandwich) method.

Results illustrate that the mixture of E12A, plasticiser AE21, and hardener E1 shows a viscosity of less than 1000 mPa*s

during a time span of at least 30 hours at room temperature. E12A therefore, is perfectly suited for the flat chamber

method. On the other hand, E12 with its higher viscosity, is better suited for the sandwich method, because of its low

tendency to allow for air entering the interstice between the slice and the polyester foil. Visual inspection showed that

both E12 and E12A, yielded transparent plastinated slices of comparable, excellent quality.


COLORING MUSCLE TISSUE FOR PLASTINATION

1SIQUEIRA BMM, 2 MONTEIRO YF, 2 JUVENATO LS, 3 BITTENCOURT APSV, 4 BAPTISTA CAC, 1,2BITTENCOURT AS

1Biochemistry and Pharmacology Graduation Program, Federal University of Espírito Santo, Vitória, Brazil, 2Department

of Morfology, Federal University of Espírito Santo, Vitória, Brazil, 3Department of Physiology Science, Federal University

of Espírito Santo, Vitória, Brazil, 4College of Medicine and Life Sciences, University of Toledo, Ohio, USA

Introduction: The visual appearance of the plastinated specimens is a very important factor to obtain an ideal product,

which conserves the original appearance of the specimen. The skeletal muscle tissue comprises approximately 40% of

the total body, being always very much in evidence in anatomical preparations. Therefore, the objective of this work was

to test the staining and selectivity of different histological dyes (acidic and basic) by muscle tissue for use in the

plastination technique.

Materials and Methods: Skeletal muscle tissue from carcasses of rats destined for disposal was used for staining. Each

test dye was placed in 10% buffered formaldehyde solution, totaling a final volume of 300 mL of dye solution. The

following dyes and their respective amounts were employed: ferrous fuchsin solution (7.5 mL), floxin B (0.0051 grams),

safranin (0.0060 grams), Masson's trichrome solution (7.5 mL), and control (no dyes) for staining during the fixation step

(30 days). After that, the tissues underwent the plastination process. Microscopy of stained tissues (prior to plastination)

was also performed to evaluate the selectivity and adherence of dyes in tissues.

Results: All dyes had affinity for muscle tissue and did not stain underlying tissues. However, the affinity of Masson's

trichrome was also observed in epidermis with microscopy analysis. It was possible to distinguish more easily the stained

muscle tissue from the other tissues. The dyes that presented the best results and selectivity were those of acidic

character (Masson's trichrome and floxin B), since they did not undergo the metachromasia phenomenon (color change

of basic dyes in biological tissues). Among these, the most promising was the Masson’s trichrome, since it more closely

approached the actual color of muscle tissue in vivo.

Conclusion: It was verified that the coloration of the skeletal muscle tissue of anatomical pieces helps in the

differentiation of tissues, such as the conjunctiva, adipose and epidermis. Masson's trichrome allowed coloration closer

to the real thing, showing it to be the most suitable for the technique.



ROOM TEMPERATURE SILICONE PLASTINATION

STARCHIK D

International Morphological Centre, Saint-Petersburg, Russian Federation

Introduction: There are two silicone plastination techniques all over the world. The classical method (S10) was

introduced by Gunther von Hagens in 1977. It uses a reaction silicone impregnation mixture, and needs a freezer to keep

it cold for slowing down polymerization. The second technique was proposed by Daniel Corcoran & Dow Corning

Corporation in 1998, and it uses a non-reaction mixture silicone mix, and carries out impregnation at room temperature

(RT). Cold and RT silicone plastination techniques have differences in polymer components in the impregnation mixture,

and also in the sequence of their combination in the curing stage. Because the RT technique is less popular than the

cold-temperature method, it is advisable to know how to realize RT plastination stages, and what features those

plastinated specimens have.

Materials and Methods: We plastinated a variety of organs, regions, and whole body specimens with the RT technique

using standard procedures (dissection, dehydration, defatting, impregnation, & curing) and evaluated the advantages

and shortcomings of this method. Criteria used for evaluation included shrinkage, duration of impregnation and curing,

quality of plastinated specimens, need for extra equipment and its maintenance, as well as other cost considerations.

Cylindrical core samples of parenchymatous organs were used to efficiently evaluate shrinkage and plastination

duration. Core cylinder volume was evaluated at the end of each stage of the process by fluid displacement.

Results: The first three steps for the RT procedure are identical to the cold technique; the difference is in the

impregnation and curing steps only. The RT impregnation mixture consists of 93% silicone and 5% cross-linker. That is

not a reaction mixture, and so there is no need to keep it in a freezer. Molecular weight is about 500, and 12-second

dynamic viscosity. The average shrinkage calculated for the tissue cores plastinated by the RT technique (16.2 ± 1.49 %)

was 1.5 times less than by the cold method (p < 0.05). The total duration of the impregnation and curing stages of

samples for the RT plastination was found to be 1.54 times shorter than that of the S10 technique. The silicone

impregnation-mix for the RT technique, because of its low viscosity, drains very easily from impregnated hair, fur, and

feather specimens, which is a large time saver. Hollow organs and body part specimens plastinated by the RT procedure

were less flexible, more fragile and harder after curing than those made with the cold technique. There is no need for an

additional freezer for the impregnation vacuum chamber, or a special chamber equipped with a fan, an aquarium pump

and desiccant for the RT technique.

Conclusion: The specimens plastinated with the RT technique were less flexible and elastic, but this process allows

production of good quality specimens with minimal shrinkage, and in a shorter period of time. This method is preferable

for whole brain, parenchymatous organs, parts of the body, fetus, fur/hair/feather-covered specimens, reptiles & fish, as

well as for long time formalin-fixed specimens, for archaeological and fossil objects. A room temperature plastination

laboratory is more economical to set up than the cold-temperature system.


E12 PLASTINATION FOR RESEARCH INTO STENTED CORONARY ARTERIES

1STARCHIK D, 2SORA MC, 3SHISHKEVICH A, 1ANDREEV Y

1Department of Human Morphology, North-western State Medical University, Saint Petersburg, Russia, 2Department of Anatomy and Molecular Medicine, Sigmund Freud University, Vienna, Austria, 3The First

Department and Clinic of Surgery, Military Medical Academy, Saint Petersburg, Russia

Introduction: Stenting of coronary arteries is the most promising method of myocardial revascularization for ischemic

heart disease. At the same time, detailed visualization of the metal stent inside the coronary artery, and study of the

relationship of its elements to the arterial wall in histological specimens, is not possible. Use of a special technique of

epoxy plastination for stented coronary arteries contributes to new treatment methods for one of the most common

cardiovascular pathologies.

Materials and Methods: A portion of the heart wall with an implanted stent was dehydrated in cold acetone at -25° C.

After completely replacing the water, the preparation was immersed in mixture of low-viscosity E12 epoxy resin and

hardener in a ratio of 20: 1, and impregnated in a vacuum chamber at 30° C, decreasing pressure gradually until release

of acetone bubbles ceased. The heart wall was then taken out of the resin, and left for 7 to 10 days at a temperature of

40° C until it was completely cured. Tissue was removed around the stented artery by grinding, or the specimen was cut

with a diamond saw in 0.5 – 1 mm sections. The sections were placed in polymethylmethacrylate flat chambers, and

filled up with a composition of E12 epoxy resin and hardener in the ratio of 10: 1. After hardening of the resin, the

transparent specimens of stented arteries were scanned at 600 or 1200 dpi, or were microscopically examined up to 20X

magnification.

Results: Plastinated E12 slices provided good anatomical details down to the microscopic level. The proposed method is

fine for detecting changes in the geometry and morphology of stented lesions of coronary arteries. It permits good

visualisation of the contact of the stent with the inner vessel wall and atherosclerotic plaques, and it easily provides

measurements and statistical analysis. In comparison with radiography, this method makes possible evaluation of the

topography of the metal implants in arterial bifurcations, and it demonstrates the degree of deformation of the

atherosclerotic plaque after stenting. Hard transparent sections with whole stents retain transparency and can be cut

transversely for more detailed examination.

Conclusion: Adequate impregnation of the heart wall is achieved by using low-viscosity epoxy resin, and heating the

impregnating composition, which increases the fluidity of the resin, and enabled impregnation of specimens with

thickness up to 25 mm. This method can be applied for clinical research for development of new methods of stenting of

coronary arteries, and for the study of other organs with implanted metal constructions and devices.


Minutes

19th Biennial Business Meeting of The International Society for Plastination

Held in Dalian, China, July 21, 2018

1. The President, Professor Rafael Latorre opened the meeting. The membership was informed of the death of Lance

Nash, an active member of the ISP for many years. The President paid tribute to Dr. Nash, and a minute of silence was

observed.

2. The minutes of the previous AGM of the ISP (June 30th, 2016, Toledo, USA) were presented and approved.

3. President’s report

The President Rafael Latorre reported that grant applications to attend this meeting had been received from students 1

from Africa, and 2 from Murcia, however the applicants had no budget to purchase tickets. In view of this, the President

requested approval for financial help for transport to meetings for students.

Dr. Carlos Baptista reminded the meeting that this was the source of membership for the future, but it raised the issue

of where to get funds, as conferences operate on a very tight budget. Should sponsorship from companies be explored?

The President: companies present (Biodur and Hoffen) were asked and they agreed to support one transportation

student grant for the next ICP.

The President: all attendees at the workshops in Murcia automatically become members for 2 years. There is a budget

from Murcia to sponsor 1 student to the ICP. This was to be decided by committee, the applicant must be a member of

the ISP, they must present at the meeting, and they must submit a paper to the Journal.

Prof Sui (H-JS): it should be limited to students working in plastination. H-JS proposed that the host of the ICP could

sponsor 1 student for registration and accommodation. This proposal for the 2020 meeting was approved.

The President stressed that it was important to update email addresses for the website/Groupspace. It was agreed to

share email queries with all members.

4. Treasurer’s report

Balance Transferred from Joshua Lopez (2016) $23,309.30 Income (ISP Membership is $75. Total received after fees is $72.52) Membership Dues (July-December 2016) $725.20 (10 Membership) Membership Dues (2017) $432.88 (6 Membership) Membership Dues (January-July 1, 2018) $507.64 (23 Membership) Total Membership Dues $1,813.00


Expenses Printing & Production Journal ($2,761.85) Scholarship paid to students attending the Interim S Africa Paypal Charges (2016:; 2017:$17.12;2018) Bank Charges ($143.53) Bank Charges relates to Chase Bank only Total Expenses ($2,905.38) Current Chase Account Balance $21,294.75 PayPal Account: Payments received: $2,400.00 Fees $97.66 Current PayPal Account Balance $2,302.34 Chase Account: Fees Current Chase Account Balance Total Accounts $22,838.75

The Treasurer Carlos Baptista reported that there was a problem that the ISP was failing to retain new members from

the workshops after 2 years.

The new website hosting and domain name had been paid for in advance for 3 years.

The hard copy of the Journal cost 600 USD/issue for printing 40 copies. This was a considerable outlay for the ISP. There

was discussion on whether the Journal should continue to be printed or issued as an electronic version only. The

possibility of a two-tier membership (with or without the hard copy) was discussed. It was also suggested that an option

to order a hard copy through a print-on-demand service should be included on the website.

A proposal to discontinue the hard copy of the Journal of Plastination was carried.

Dr. Octavio Lopez (OL) offered to help with marketing/support, for example communication with members, particularly

targeting non-active members.

The possibility of automatic renewals was discussed. Renewals would automatically continue until cancelled.

Carlos Baptista: Groupspace has a link with PayPal, could generate an automatic reminder. Carlos Baptista agreed to

look into automatic payments via PayPal

5. Editor’s report

The Editor, Philip Adds (PA), reported that applications were in the process of being submitted to Scopus and Web of

Science. Following feedback from the NLM on our application to Medline, the Journal now carries a statement of ethics.

PA intends to prepare a new submission to Medline in the near future.


There were 6 papers currently undergoing review/revision, and 2 more had been submitted that were waiting to be sent

out for peer review. Because English is not the first language of many of our contributors it is frequently necessary for

manuscripts to undergo quite heavy English-language editing before they can be sent out for peer review. This takes up

quite a lot of the Editor’s time, and therefore, unfortunately, delays the peer review process. Because of the low number

of submissions, PA is reluctant to reject papers outright, and some need a lot of work to get them up to an acceptable

standard for publication.

PA reminded the meeting that it had been the intention of the Editorial Board to republish the ‘Cook Book’ of standard

plastination procedures (last published in 2007). This was agreed several years ago, but despite repeated requests to the

authors of the original articles for updated versions, only 1 has so far been submitted for publication. PA wondered if

perhaps it was time to revisit this project, and aim to publish the new, updated cookbook in 2019.

RL proposed that the Journal should carry an Obituary of Lance Nash. Approved unanimously. RL to ask Dr. Ming Zhang

to write it.

The use of a professional English-language editing service was discussed. It was generally felt that it would be too

expensive, and unlikely to have the necessary expertise in the techniques of plastination.

Matthew Tinney kindly offered to help with copy editing.

7. New business

i. There had been no volunteers to host the 13th Interim Meeting

Carlos Baptista suggested emailing the membership, if it was felt that an interim meeting was still necessary.

Dr. Dmitry Starchik suggested that the unsuccessful candidate to host the ICP might wish to host the Interim Meeting.

ii. 20th ICP (2020)

Two bids were received: Temuco (Chile) in July, and Honolulu (Hawaii) in March, 2020. The two bids were put to a vote.

The majority favored Temuco.

Carlos Baptista offered to contact Scott Lozanoff with a view to either hosting the 13th Interim Meeting, or submitting a

new application to host the 2022 ICP.

iii. 21st ICP (2022)

There was discussion on two possible venues for the 21st ICP: Hawaii and Denmark. Further discussion with the

potential hosts was needed.


8. Report of the Elections.

Carlos Baptista gave a verbal report on the outcome of the recent ISP elections.

President: Rafael Latorre; Vice-president: Dmitry Starchik; Secretary: Nicolas Ottone; Treasurer: Carlos Baptista; and

Councillors Kees De Jong, Hong-Jin Sui, Onyemaech Okpara Azu, and Telma Masuko.

RL: thank Anthony Weinhaus for his support with this election process. Special thanks to Selcuk Tunali for his tenure as

Secretary since 2016. Thanks to Bob Henry, Ming Zhang and Athelson Bittencourt for serving as councilors since 2016.

He greatly appreciates the time they have dedicated to the ISP.

The meeting closed at 15.30

The Plastination Journal 30 (2):52 (2018)

Journal of Plastination Instructions for Authors

(Revised July 2017)

JOURNAL OF PLASTINATION is owned and controlled by the International Society for Plastination (ISP).

Goals - The Journal of Plastination (ISSN 1090-2171) aims to provide a medium for the publication of scientific papers dealing with all aspects of plastination and preservation of biological specimens.

Submission Guidelines All manuscripts must be submitted to the Editorial Office via the e-mail: [email protected]. If you experience any problems or need further information, please contact Philip J. Adds, [email protected].

Authors must have an e-mail address at which they may be reached.

Necessary Files for Submission Include:

Cover letter

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Figure(s) (when appropriate)

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Note: The above items should be prepared as separate files. Each file must contain a file extension (.doc, tif, jpg, eps).

File formats appropriate for text and table submissions: Microsoft Word

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Categories of submissions: Articles published in Journal of Plastination are grouped into general article types (listed below). Final designation of a manuscript’s article type is determined by the EDITOR.

Original Research – Plastination

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Education

Case reports

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Editorial

Acceptance of a submission implies the transfer of copyright from the authors to the publisher. It is the author's responsibility to obtain permission to reproduce illustrations, tables and figures from other publications.

Copyright Transfer Form may be downloaded from http://www.journal.plastination.org/downloads/copyright.pdf. After the form is completed and signed by all the authors, it should be submitted to the Editorial Office ([email protected]) as a pdf or jpeg file via an e-mail attachment. Manuscript preparation

Cover Letter The cover letter should include a statement of authorship, notification of conflicts of interest, ethical adherence, and any financial disclosures. Cover letters may be addressed to the Editor-in-Chief, Journal of Plastination.

Manuscript The manuscript should consist of subdivisions in the following sequence:

Title Page Abstract with keywords Text Introduction Materials and methods Results Discussion References Figure Legends

Title Page The first page of the manuscript should include:

Title of paper

Each author’s name

Institution from which paper emanated, with city, state, and postal code. Each affiliation should be listed as a separate entity, with a superscript number that links it to the individual author.

For example: S. D. HOLLADAY1*, B. L. BLAYLOCK2 and B. J. SMITH1 1Department of Biomedical Sciences and Pathobiology, Virginia Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA 24061-0442, USA. 2College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, University of Louisiana at Monroe, Monroe, LA 71209, USA.

Corresponding Author’s name, address, telephone and telefax numbers, and e-mail address.

For example: *Correspondence to: Dr Shane D. Holladay, Department of Biomedical Sciences and Pathobiology, Virginia Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA 24061-0442, USA. Tel.: +001 404 739 6403; Fax: +001 404 739 6492; E-mail: [email protected]




The Journal of Plastination 30 (2):53 (2018)

It is the corresponding author’s responsibility to notify the Editorial Office of changes of address. Only the corresponding author should communicate with the Editorial office for matters regarding each manuscript. Abstract & Key Words The abstract should be no longer than 250 words. It should contain a description of the objectives, materials and methods, results, and conclusions. The abstract should include a section on technique/technical development if the paper is significantly technical in nature. The abstract must be written in complete sentences and be intelligible without reference to the rest of the paper. No references should be used in the abstract. On the same page, list, in alphabetical order, five Key Words that reflect the content of the manuscript. Consult the Medical Subject Headings for appropriate key words. Key words should be set in lower case (except for essential capitals), separated by a semicolon and bolded. Text The body of the text should be written using American English spelling. Where quantities are specified, S.I. units should be used. Equivalent Imperial or U.S. units, if desired, should follow in parentheses e.g. 1 Kg (2.2 pounds). References

References to published works, abstracts and books must include all that are relevant and necessary to the manuscript.

Citations in the text should be in parentheses and listed chronologically; e.g. (Bickley et al., 1981; von Hagens, 1985; Henry and Haynes, 1989) except when the authors name is part of a sentence; e.g. "…von Hagens (1985) reported that…" When references are made to more than one paper by the same author published in the same year, designate each citation as 1999 a, b, c, etc.

Literature cited may only include the publications, which are cited in the text. References are to be listed alphabetically using abbreviated journal names according to Index Medicus. Page numbers of the citation must be included.

Examples of the reference style are as follows:

For a journal article: Bickley HC, von Hagens G, Townsend FM. 1981: An improved method for preserving of teaching specimens. Arch Pathol Lab Med 105:674-676.

For a book section: Henry R, Haynes C. 1989: The urinary system. In: Henry R, editor. An atlas and guide to the dissection of the pony, 4th ed. Edina, MN: Alpha Editions, p 8-17.

Von Hagens G. 1985: Heidelberg plastination folder: Collection of technical leaflets for plastination. Heidelberg: Anatomiches Institut 1, Universität Heidelberg, p 16-33.

For other publications:

Internet references: Author last name, initial(s). Year: Title of article. URL: Internet address [accessed month, year].

Figure legends

Legends for all figures should be brief, specific and not be a substitute listing for the result section, and appear on a separate page at the end of the manuscript, following the list of references.

Legends must be numbered consecutively as they first appear in the text. All symbols or abbreviations appearing in any figure must be defined in the legend.

Tables

All tables must be cited in the text and have titles. Table titles should be complete but brief. Information other than that defining the data should be presented as footnotes.

Create tables using the table creating and editing feature of Microsoft Word. Do not use Excel or comparable spreadsheet programs.

Each table should be simple and uncomplicated, with NO vertical and as few horizontal lines as possible.

Each table is to appear on a separate page and must include the table title and appropriate column heads.

Save each table in a separate word document file and upload individually, like figures.

Do not embed tables within the body of the manuscript. Figures

All figures must be cited in the text and must have legends.

Each figure should be attached as a separate file and labeled with the appropriate number.

Figures should be created, saved and submitted as either a TIFF, JPEG (JPG) or an EPS file.

Line drawings must have a resolution of at least 1200 dpi, and electronic photographs, scanned images, radiographs, CT and MRI scans must have a resolution of at least 300 dpi.

The size of each figure should be at least 8.25 cm / 3.25 inches (one-column width) or 16 cm / 6 inches (two-column width).

Magnification must be recorded and have a “scale bar” in the photo. Since reproduction of illustrations is costly, authors should limit the number of figures to those which adequately present the findings, and add to the understanding of the manuscript.

Figures that are submitted in color must be published in color.

The Plastination Journal 30 (2):54 (2018)

Statement of Publication and Research Ethics: This statement is based mainly on the Code of Conduct and Best-Practice Guidelines for Journal Editors (Committee on Publication Ethics, 2011). Responsibilities of the Editor and Editorial Board:

Publication decisions

The editor (in consultation with the Editorial Board where appropriate) is responsible for deciding which of the manuscripts submitted to the Journal of Plastination will be accepted for publication, and into which category of submission they should be placed. The decision will be based solely on the paper's importance, originality and clarity, and the study's validity and its relevance to the scope of the journal. The Editor and Editorial Board will also consider, where appropriate, current legal requirements regarding libel, copyright infringement, and plagiarism.

Confidentiality

The Editor undertakes not to disclose details about any submitted manuscripts to anyone other than the corresponding author, reviewers (and potential reviewers), and the publisher, as appropriate.

Disclosure and conflicts of interest Unpublished materials disclosed in a submitted paper will not be used by the editor or the members of the editorial board for their own research purposes without the author's explicit written consent.

Responsibilities of the Reviewers Contribution to editorial decisions The peer-reviewing process assists the Editor and the Editorial board in making editorial decisions and will also, where appropriate, inform the author of improvements that will, in the opinion of the reviewer, enhance the paper.

Promptness Any selected referee who feels unqualified to review the research reported in a manuscript or knows that its prompt review will be impossible should notify the editor and withdraw from the review process.

Confidentiality

Manuscripts sent for review must be treated by them as confidential documents. They must not be disclosed to or discussed with others unless specifically authorized by the Editor.

Standards of objectivity Reviews must be conducted objectively, without personal criticisms of the author(s). Referees should express their opinions clearly, and justify their comments with examples and supporting arguments.

References and reference citations Reviewers should check that published works cited in the manuscript have also been listed accurately in the References section, and that all references listed have also been correctly cited in the text. Reviewers may also wish to indicate other relevant papers in the literature of which the author(s) may not have been aware. Reviewers will notify the Editor of any substantial similarity or overlap between the manuscript under review and other published papers of which they are aware.

Disclosure and conflict of interest Privileged information or ideas obtained through peer review must be kept confidential and not used for personal advantage. Reviewers should not consider a manuscript in which they have a conflict of interest resulting from competitive, collaborative, or other relationships, or connections with any of the authors, companies, or institutions associated with the manuscript. Any such conflict should be declared to the Editor before agreeing to undertake the review. Duties of the Authors

Reporting standards Authors of original research reports should present an accurate account of the work performed as well as an objective discussion of its significance. Underlying data should be represented accurately in the paper. A paper should contain sufficient detail and references to permit others to replicate the work. Fraudulent or knowingly inaccurate statements constitute unethical behavior and are unacceptable.

Data access and retention Authors may be asked to supply the raw data for their study, and should be prepared to make the data publicly available where appropriate and practicable.

Plagiarism, originality, and acknowledgement of sources

The Journal of Plastination 30 (2):55 (2018)

Authors will submit only entirely original works. The work and/or words of others, where they have been used or quoted, will be appropriately acknowledged and cited.

Multiple, redundant or concurrent publication In general, papers that describe essentially the same research should not be published in more than one journal. Submitting the same paper to more than one journal is considered to be unethical and is unacceptable. Manuscripts that have been published as copyrighted material elsewhere cannot be submitted. Manuscripts that are undergoing the review process should not be resubmitted elsewhere. By submitting a manuscript, the author(s) retain the rights to the published material, although in case of publication, copyright of the published paper passes to the Journal of Plastination.

Authorship of the paper Authorship should be limited to those who have made a significant contribution to the conception, design, execution, or interpretation of the reported study and its subsequent write-up for publication. All those, and only those, who have made significant contributions should be listed as co-authors. The corresponding author must ensure that all contributing co-authors are included in the author list. The corresponding author will also verify that all co-authors have approved the final version of the paper and have agreed to its submission for publication.

Disclosure and conflicts of interest The corresponding author should include a statement disclosing any financial or other substantive conflicts of interest that may be construed to influence the results or interpretation of the manuscript. All sources of financial support for the project should be disclosed. Where there are no conflicts of interest, a statement to that effect should be included.

Fundamental errors in published works When an author subsequently discovers a significant error or inaccuracy in their own published work, it is the author's obligation promptly to notify the Editor of the Journal and to cooperate with the Editor to retract or correct the paper by issuing an erratum.

Research involving human or animal subjects In research involving human subjects, The Journal of Plastination requires that all such studies adhere to the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki. Each manuscript must include details of the a) number of subjects, b) age and sex of the participants, c) inclusion and exclusion criteria, and f) a statement that ethical approval was obtained for the study, and that informed consent was given by the participants. For cadaveric studies, appropriate consent must be in place prior to utilizing the cadavers or specimens. Studies involving experimental animals must conducted in a humane manner and in accordance with relevant guidelines for the care and utilization of laboratory animals. Animal care should be in line with the NIH Guidelines for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals (NIH, 2015). The manuscript must include a statement that ethical approval of the protocol was obtained. The Journal of Plastination will reject manuscripts if the Editor and/or Editorial Board are not satisfied with the standards of ethical use of animals or data from humans in research. References Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). (2011, March 7). Code of Conduct and Best-Practice Guidelines for Journal Editors. Retrieved from: https://publicationethics.org/files/Code_of_conduct_for_journal_editors_Mar11.pdf (accessed 5th September 2017) NIH Office of Laboratory Animal Welfare - Public Health Service Policy on Humane Care and Use of Laboratory Animals (NIH, 2015). Retrieved from: https://grants.nih.gov/grants/olaw/references/phspol.htm

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