The current potential of plastination

Abstract

This review surveys the potential of plastination, a technique of tissue preservation introduced eight years ago. In this process, water and lipids in biological tissues are replaced by curable polymer which are subsequently hardened, resulting in dry, odorless and durable specimens. The procedure consists of the following steps - fixation, dehydration, forced impregnation in a vacuum, and hardening. The properties of the finished specimen are determined by the class of polymer used. Silicone yields flexible, resilient specimens, allows the broadest range of application, and provides satisfactory results with minimum equipment. Specimens plastinated with an epoxy-silicone copolymer are rigid enough to be polished, but are not unbreakable. This resin is used for thick, opaque body slices and showcase specimens. Epoxy resins are used for thin (2.5 mm), transparent body or organ slices. They are cast between polyester foils or glass plates and can be used for histological investigations. Polyester resin is used for the production of opaque brain slices, which gives excellent differentiation between grey and white matter. The application of plastination in research and the production of teaching specimens is discussed with special regard to the equipment required, cost, and feasibility of the processing.

Histo‐Topographic study of the longitudinal anal muscle

“…After vacuum impregnation, the specimens were cured by exposure to ultraviolet light and heat (50 C°). 11,13,[15][16][17][18] …”

MR-plastination-arthrography: a new technique used to study the distal tibiofibular syndesmosis

“…I fast curing, II slow curing polymer. Each series contains nine different Gd dilutions varying from 1:50 to 1:250, in steps of 25 (1)(2)(3)(4)(5)(6)(7)(8)(9) following: the decrease in signal intensity was initially greater in the fast-curing polymer than in the slow-curing polymer; after 512 min both polymers still had not completely solidified as the signal intensity of both the fast-and slow-curing polymer had not reached zero yet; at higher dilutions the decrease in signal intensity occurred at a greater rate than at lower dilutions.…”

“…Therefore the normal anatomy not only of the syndesmotic ligaments but also of the joint space and of the height and contour of the syndesmotic recess is of interest. One way to study the anatomy is by using the technique of plastination, in which biologic tissues are impregnated by curable polymers [1]. This results in dry, odorless, and durable specimens that have intact gross and microscopic anatomy.…”

From tubular sublimate nephropathy via urinary concentrating mechanism to glomerular disease—Wilhelm Kriz’s contribution to modern nephrology

“…One of his assistants, Gunter von Hagens, originally coming from pathology, decided to say farewell to renal anatomy, after collaborating with Kriz on what he called Btubulating.Î n the mid-1980s, von Hagens gathered a solid number of medical students to address gross anatomy in his own way, that is, by revitalizing techniques of past centuries with contemporary polymer techniques in order conserve the human body, including all its organs, in life-like quality. The potential of this technique was soon recognized by Kriz who published first data on the potential of plastination as early as in 1987 together with von Hagens and his colleague, Klaus Tiedemann [100].…”