Plastination with low viscosity silicone: strategy for less tissue shrinkage

Abstract

Plastination is an anatomical technique for preserving biological tissues based on the principle of replacing body fluids with a curable polymer. An inconvenient aspect of this technique is the tissue shrinkage it causes; several studies seek ways to reduce or avoid this shrinkage. Additionally, there are no studies in the literature that quantitatively evaluate the use of low viscosity silicones in plastination having shrinkage of tissue as a parameter. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the use of Silicones S10 (Biodur) and P1 (Polisil) in the plastination of different types of biological tissues of a sliced human body, having as a parameter the tissue shrinkage caused in the forced impregnation stage. Human cardiac, pulmonary, splenic, renal, hepatic, muscular, and bone tissues were analyzed. For such purpose, a male human body was used, sliced in 13-15-mm-thick pieces, having as a parameter the before and the after plastination with the different silicones. The standard protocol of the plastination of the slices was followed: dehydration, forced impregnation, and curation. Half of the pieces obtained were plastinated with silicone P1 (group P1) and the other half with S10 (group S10). All tissues and anatomical segments analyzed in this study showed less or equal shrinkage when plastination of the control group (S10) was compared with that of the P1 group. Therefore, we concluded that the lower viscosity silicone promoted less tissue shrinkage, making it a viable alternative to the reference.

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“…The morpho anatomical characteristics are little changed during the process. The major changes, especially in tissue colors, occur during fixation, once they are evidenced in the dissection and mainly in impregnation when shrinkage occurs [6]. Therefore, in some cases, other conventional techniques may prove to be more viable, thus avoiding undesired results, especially in specimens in an advanced state of decomposition.…”

“…Plastination is one of the most modern techniques for the conservation of biological tissues, being called by some authors the anatomical technique of the century [5]. Developed by the German physician Gunther von Hagens in 1977, this technique has as its principle the replacement of water, the main constituent of biological tissues, and body fluids with a curable polymer [6]. This technique produces specimens with no odors, no toxicity, flexibility, easy maintenance, and storage, and is extremely durable.…”