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

Abstract

Cadaveric 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 computed tomography (CT) images before and after embalming. The mean changes in the ratio (angle to ROM) differed statistically between embalming methods (Welch Statistic 3,1.672 = 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 to 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 size of the organs and vessels investigated in this study. Despite this, a study with larger numbers of cadavers is required to confirm these findings.

Phenoxyethanol‐Based Embalming for Anatomy Teaching: An 18 Years' Experience with Crosado Embalming at the University of Otago in New Zealand

“…There is a paucity of literature directly comparing the quality of tissues resulting from different embalming methods to date. In a recent series of studies, a group from the University of Dundee, Scotland, compared student (Balta et al, 2015b) and staff perceptions (Balta et al, 2017), tissue haptic properties (Kennel et al, 2018; Balta et al, 2019a), and antimicrobial properties (Balta et al, 2019b) of formaldehyde and Thiel‐based embalming techniques. They found that Thiel embalming made undergraduate students feel more uncomfortable than formaldehyde‐fixed tissues as they looked more lifelike (Balta et al, 2015b).…”

“…Regarding the tissues provided for undergraduate education, it has been shown to be advantageous to introduce a level of artificiality concerning tissue color and stiffness (Balta et al, 2015b; Hammer et al, 2015b). While formaldehyde fixation results in stiffer, unpliable tissues with a bleached appearance, other techniques such as light embalming (Messmer et al, 2010) or Thiel embalming (Thiel, 1992; Benkhadra et al, 2009; Jaung et al, 2011; Balta et al, 2015a; Hammer et al, 2015b; Balta et al, 2019a) result in colorfast and elastic tissues with particular suitability for postgraduate education and specialist workshops. The deliquescent tissue behavior of Thiel embalming is extremely helpful for (simulated) surgical interventions, which require a realistic range of tissue mobility (Groscurth et al, 2001; Eisma et al, 2011; Jaung et al, 2011; Eisma et al, 2013; Hammer et al, 2015a,b; Tomlinson et al, 2016; Balta et al, 2019a).…”

Anatomic and Histological Features of the Extensor Digitorum Longus Tendon Insertion in the Proximal Nail Matrix of the Second Toe

“…Furthermore, the impact of formalin preservation and histological process could have influenced the tissue relationships and dimensions. Although formalin retained shape and size of organs and vessels, Genelyn and Imperial College London soft-preservation (ICL-SP) solution technique may faithfully mimic cadavers' joints compared to un-embalmed cadavers [22]. Thus, future studies should compare our findings using different embalming solutions on the human cadavers' tissues.…”

Toward safer thanatopraxy cares: formaldehyde‐releasers use

“…These practices were very numerous and embalmer‐dependent, which is still the case nowadays (Brenner, ; Hambly, ; Balta et al. ). From this important cultural diversity, a huge variability in embalming fluids has been noticed.…”

“…Embalming practices have been known since antiquity, and were developed mainly for religious reasons (Ancient Egypt culture, for example). These practices were very numerous and embalmer-dependent, which is still the case nowadays (Brenner, 2014;Hambly, 2016;Balta et al 2019). From this important cultural diversity, a huge variability in embalming fluids has been noticed.…”