Use of plastinated specimens in surgical education and clinical practice

This paper describes the usefulness of the process of plastination, a new technique of tissue preservation, for demonstrating both diagnostic and therapeutic aspects of advanced surgical anatomy. In contrast to existing methods, plastination provides dry, firm, odorless, and manipulable specimens that are esthetically acceptable everywhere and thus allows anatomy to be both literally and metaphorically carried into the clinic. The author regards this process as an important factor in bridging the gap between anatomy and clinical practice.