A comparison of embalming fluids on the structures and properties of tissue in human cadavers

AbstractCadaveric material has long been used to teach anatomy and more recently to train students in clinical skills. The aim of this study was to develop a systematic approach to compare the impact of four embalming solutions on the tissues of human cadavers. To this end, a formalin ‐based solution, Thiel, Genelyn and Imperial College London soft‐preservation (ICL‐SP) solution were compared. The effect of these chemicals on the properties of the tissue was assessed by measuring the range of motion (ROM) of joints and measuring the dimensions of different structures on com puted tomography (CT) images before and after embalming. The mean changes in the ratio (angle to ROM) differed statistically between embalming methods (Welch Statistic3,1.672 = 67.213,p = 0.026). Thiel embalmed cadavers showed an increase in range of motion while ICL ‐SP cadavers remained relatively the same. Genelyn and formalin embalmed cadavers registered a notable decrease in range of motion. Furthermore, investigation into the impact of the embalming chemicals on the dimensions of internal organs and vessels revealed that Thiel embalming technique leads t o a decrease in the dimension of the cardiovascular system alone while formalin‐based solutions maintain the shape of the organs and vessels investigated. Our findings suggest that the joints of cadavers’ embalmed using ICL‐SP technique may faithfully mimic that of unembalmed cadavers and that formalin is necessary to retain shape and...
Source: Anatomia, Histologia, Embryologia: Journal of Veterinary Medicine Series C - Category: Veterinary Research Authors: Tags: ORIGINAL ARTICLE Source Type: research