Plastination - an Innovative Preservative Technique In Anatomy

Abstract

Preserving the cadavers from ongoing natural processes of de- composition and putrefaction have always been the focus of medical professionals especially anatomists, in order to use them for future studies and research. Embalming is the most commonly used pro- cedure to prevent decomposition/putrefaction of cadavers. However, there are certain limitations/disadvantages ascribed to traditional “Embalming” procedures. Among these disadvantages, the most obvious ones are the repulsiveness of the students due to the smell and the formation of irritant fumes from the embalming fluid. Use of formaldehyde and methanol is also not considered environment friendly. In contrast, plastination technique has several advantages like making cadaver easy to handle, easy storage, being cheaper, odorless presentation and presents more anatomical details. Cus- tomization of the technique has been done for particular organs and according to the environmental conditions but still the basic tech- niques considered as pioneers for plastination are the Silicone (S10) and Sheet Plastination (P40).Though plastination has been estab- lished as an excellent preservation method but the ethical issues are still debatable. The moral dilemma has been under discussion since the development of this procedure. The major reason for this ethical and moral discussion is the social and cultural restraints towards the depiction of such exhibitions. In this article, a comprehensive detail history, methodology, advantages/limitations and a brief discussion on the ethical and moral dilemma have been presented. Introduction