From toxic cadavers to biosafe specimens: a brief history of plastination in veterinary anatomy

Abstract

The teaching of veterinary anatomy was started in line with the establishment of the first veterinary school in Lyon in 1762. During this time fewer tools and techniques were available for displaying and visualization of organs in order to teach anatomy. Over the years, many methods, tools, and techniques that are essential for veterinary students and anatomists were developed. Teaching materials like cadaver which preserved by formalin has being using for a long time. Instead of preserved cadavers, various teaching materials have also been using in different parts of the world. These alternative techniques were not hopeful to meet the professional challenges in the medical and veterinary sciences. In 1977, Dr. Gunther von Hagens came up with an exclusive method, for the preservation of biological materials, called plastination. In the process of plastination body fluids and lipids in biological tissues replace with epoxy silicone and polyester polymers. Plastinated specimens are an excellent alternative to formalin-fixed specimens. Plastination brings not only three-dimensional and cross-sectional specimens for teaching and research, but also durable, clean, non-toxic materials for students. Plastinates are also convenient to handle, transport, and store. Three major methods used in plastination are silicone, sheet plastination with epoxy method and sheet plastination with polyester method. Silicone plastination is the most adaptable technique for cadavers, whole body or organ slices. Relative to the other plastination methods, it is widely used for teaching veterinary anatomy. Sheet plastination with polyester resin has been used for the production of opaque brain slices, while sheet plastination with epoxy resins are used for transparent body or organ slices. Using of anatomic specimens after plastination can be quite efficient for both theoretical and practical courses.

Keywords

• history
• plastination
• veterinary anatomy

Toksik kadavralardan, biyolojik güvenli örneklere plastinasyonun veteriner anatomideki kısa tarihçesi

Öz

Veteriner anatomi eğitimi, 1762 yılında Lyon’da ilk veteriner okulunun kurulması ile başladı. O dönemlerde anatomi öğretimi için organların sergilenmesi ve görülmesi amacıyla oldukça sınırlı yöntemler ve teknikler bulunmaktaydı. Yıllar içerisinde, veteriner hekimliği öğrencileri ve anatomistler için vazgeçilmez olan birçok yöntem teknik ve ekipman geliştirildi. Kadavralar gibi formalin ile hazırlanmış eğitim materyalleri çok uzun zaman kullanıldı. Dünyanın farklı yerlerinde kadavraların muhafaza edilmesi yerine çeşitli öğretim materyalleri de kullanılmaktadır. Bu alternatif teknikler bile, tıp ve veteriner hekimlik bilimlerindeki mesleki zorluklarla başetme konusunda çok umut vaad etmiyordu. 1977'de Dr. Gunther von Hagens; biyolojik materyallerin korunması için plastinasyon adı verilen özel bir yöntem geliştirdi. Plastinasyon sürecinde, biyolojik dokulardaki vücut sıvıları ve lipidlerin, epoksi silikon ve polyester polimerler ile değiştirmesi sağlanmaktadır. Plastine edilmiş örnekler, formalinle tespit edilmiş numunelere göre mükemmel bir alternative olarak görülmektedir. Plastinasyon, sadece öğretim ve araştırma için üç boyutlu ve kesit örnekler değil, aynı zamanda öğrenciler için dayanıklı, temiz, toksik olmayan materyaller de sağlar. Plastinatların işlenmesi, taşınması ve depolanması da oldukça kolaydır. Plastinasyonda kullanılan başlıca üç yöntem; silikon, epoksi yöntemiyle kesitsel plastinasyon ve polyester yöntemiyle kesitsel plastinasyondur. Silikon plastinasyonu; kadavra, tüm vücut veya organ kesitleri için en uygun tekniktir. Diğer plastinasyon yöntemlerine göre veteriner anatomi öğretiminde yaygın olarak kullanılmaktadır. Opak beyin dilimlerinin üretiminde polyester polimer ile kesit plastinasyonu, şeffaf gövde veya organ dilimleri için de epoksi resinlerle kesit plastinasyonu kullanılabilmektedir. Anatomik örneklerin plastine edildikten sonra kullanılması; hem teorik hem de uygulamalı dersler için oldukça verimli olabilmektedir.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• plastinasyon
• tarihçe
• veteriner anatomi

Kaynakça

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