J Vet Sci.  2024 Mar;25(2):e29. 10.4142/jvs.23176.

Gross, organoleptic and histologic assessment of cadaveric equine heads preserved using chemical methods for veterinary surgical teaching

Affiliations
  • 1Department of Surgery, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP 05508-270, Brazil
  • 2Department of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Animal Science and Food Engineering, University of São Paulo, Pirassununga, SP 13635-900, Brazil

Abstract

Background
Preservation of biological tissues has been used since ancient times. Regardless of the method employed, tissue preservation is thought to be a vital step in veterinary surgery teaching and learning.
Objectives
This study was designed to determine the usability of chemically preserved cadaveric equine heads for surgical teaching in veterinary medicine.
Methods
Six cadaveric equine heads were collected immediately after death or euthanasia and frozen until fixation. Fixation was achieved by using a hypertonic solution consisting of sodium chloride, sodium nitrite and sodium nitrate, and an alcoholic solution containing ethanol and glycerin. Chemically preserved specimens were stored at low temperatures (2°C to 6°C) in a conventional refrigerator. The specimens were submitted to gross and organoleptic assessment right after fixative solution injection (D0) and within 10, 20, and 30 days of fixation (D10, D20, and D30, respectively). Samples of tissue from skin, tongue, oral vestibule, and masseter muscle were collected for histological evaluation at the same time points.
Results
Physical and organoleptic assessments revealed excellent specimen quality (mean scores higher than 4 on a 5-point scale) in most cases. In some specimens, lower scores (3) were assigned to the range of mouth opening, particularly on D0 and D10. A reduced the range of mouth opening may be a limiting factor in teaching activities involving structures located in the oral cavity.
Conclusions
The excellent physical, histologic, and organoleptic characteristics of the specimens in this sample support their usability in teaching within the time frame considered. Appropriate physical and organoleptic characteristics (color, texture, odor, and flexibility) of the specimens in this study support the use of the method described for preparation of reusable anatomical specimens.

Keyword

Educational techniques; anatomy; biological preservation; horses
Full Text Links
  • JVS
Actions
Cited
CITED
export Copy
Close
Share
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
Similar articles
Copyright © 2024 by Korean Association of Medical Journal Editors. All rights reserved.     E-mail: koreamed@kamje.or.kr