Plastination: a modern approach to chiropractic teaching

Abstract

Plastination is a unique method for the preservation of biological material for teaching and research. The plastinated specimens are dry, odorless, non-toxic and durable. They can be manipulated by teachers and students without protective equipment like gloves. Invented in 1978 by Doctor Gunther von Hagens from the University ofHeidelberg, this technique, that involves the replacement ofwater by a curable polymer, has spread rapidly all around the world and is actually used in over 250 universities and colleges. To our knowledge, the Universite du Quebec a Trois-Rivieres, is the first institution to use plastinated specimens for teaching anatomy, neuroanatomy, pathology and radiology to students in chiropractic. This paper describes the various steps of the method (fixation, dehydration, impregnation and curing) and presents some examples of the utilization of plastinated specimens.