UACh laboratory implements new conservation technique for anatomical samples

The Laboratory of Plastination and Anatomical Techniques of the Austral University of Chile is the first laboratory in the country that implements the Elnady’s techniquemethod of conservation of organic tissues.

This new method, created by Dr. Fawzy Elnady in 2016, has important advantages compared to other techniques, since in addition to obtaining realistic, durable, dry and odorless specimens, the resulting tissues are soft and flexible, unlike the plastination that produces rigid samples, for example.

Another comparative advantage is its biosafety, since its preparation, use or handling does not represent a risk to the health of students or academics, since it does not contain dangerous chemical substances such as formaldehyde.

“The flexibility offered by the technique allows anatomical specimens to be used at different levels of teaching; It has great potential for teaching biomechanics, as well as training in clinical and surgical skills and in some areas of imaging,” said Dr. Bárbara Pérez, the academic responsible for the UACh laboratory.

Anatomy and clinical practice

This new technique offers outstanding preservation characteristics, such as the faithful preservation of anatomical structures, allowing the study of anatomy, in addition to generating safe samples, without toxic substances.

In addition, the particular physical characteristics of the models obtained allow a more realistic experience and enhance other areas of professional training associated with clinical sciences since, eventually, it will allow students to train in routine procedures on specimens that are as similar as possible to a live patient, before facing a real patient.

In this sense, the technique is promising for the development of some aspects of clinical simulation and training, a need that is increasingly required in the teaching of veterinary medicine considering the ethical restrictions on the use of animals, the logistical complications of practical activities with living patients, among others.

Publication

The Laboratory of Plastination and Anatomical Techniques that implemented this new technique is attached to the Institute of Pharmacology and Morphophysiology of the Faculty of Veterinary Sciences of the Austral University of Chile. Its function is to preserve specimens and organic systems of different animal species for use in teaching, research and connection with the environment.

“Our laboratory has always been interested in contributing to the current needs that are required in teaching and training of future veterinary doctors, contributing with the generation and innovation of first-rate study material, as well as in linking activities associated with environmental education and animal morphology for educational purposes, so we are very happy to increase the versatility of preservation techniques for these purposes”, added Dr. Pérez.

In this sense, the laboratory is continuously working on initiatives to support the development of morphological sciences with an applied perspective.

An example of this is the publication of a scientific article A Technical Note of Improvement of the Elnady Technique for, Tissue Preservation in Veterinary Anatomy, work that describes modifications and improvements of the processes of the Elnady technique, which allowed more real and natural results of the preserved specimens in terms of color, retraction and flexibility of the tissues.

Thesis

Likewise, an undergraduate thesis entitled Implementation of a new tissue conservation technique, “modification of the Elnady technique” in canine head and neckwhich will produce an anatomical prototype for use in the area of ​​clinical sciences.

The objective of this work is to evaluate if a specimen prepared with this technique can be used for teaching the clinical examination of the upper airways, oral cavity and external ear in small animals, through diagnostic procedures such as endoscopy (rhinoscopy, laryngoscopy and otoscopy), given the flexibility characteristics of the tissues offered by this technique.