Preservation of human tissue by plastination: An anatomical perspective

Abstract

The necessity of preserving human tissue has increased over the years because of various reasons. Preserved tissues play a crucial part in the teaching and research of anatomy. This review paper has compiled the basic techniques of human tissue plastination from the anatomical perspective and its advantages over typical methods. One of the most effective techniques we used to preserve human tissue is plastination. It was developed by German anatomist Dr. Gunther Von Hagens. After him, many improvements are made to get maximum results. Because of this technique's advancement, we can see an accurate 3-D sample of human tissue, which is anatomically correct and looks almost real. There are essential procedures for all types of plastination like fixation, dehydration, defatting, force impregnation, positioning, and hardening. Silicone, epoxy, and polyester are primarily used as the polymer. Acetone is used for dehydration. Removal of fat is crucial for tissue preservation by plastination. Plastinated specimens are used in laboratories for teaching anatomy, in research institutes for morphological studies, and also in forensic to solve crimes. After analyzing several research articles, it was concluded that plastination has much more advantages than other human tissue preservation techniques for anatomical usages.