Colored silicone injection for use in neurosurgical dissections: anatomic technical note.
OBJECTIVE
The dissection of cadaveric specimens is very important for a more sophisticated understanding of neurosurgical anatomic features and approaches. Teaching known approaches to residents or learning new approaches is best performed in a cadaveric laboratory. The utility of neurosurgical cadaveric dissections can be improved by injecting the intracranial vascular tree with colored silicone. The vascular anatomic features, which are integral to neurosurgical procedures, are much more clearly defined in injected specimens.


METHODS
Self-curing colored silicone rubber is used to inject the arteries and veins (red and blue, respectively) of the head. This process is described in a step-by-step format. Six steps are required and can be summarized as follows: 1) exposure of the great vessels, 2) cannulation of the great vessels, 3) irrigation of the head, 4) preparation of the colored silicone, 5) injection of the colored silicone, and 6) evaluation of the final specimen.


CONCLUSIONS
Injection of colored silicone into the vascular tree can enhance the educational value of cadaveric head dissections. This report describes the technique of vascular injection that is used in the Goodyear Microsurgical Laboratory, the University of Cincinnati, and the Mayfield Clinic.
Sanan
A
A
Department of Neurosurgery, University of Cincinnati, Ohio 45267-0515, USA.
Abdel Aziz
K M
KM
Janjua
R M
RM
van Loveren
H R
HR
Keller
J T
JT
D001921:Brain / Q000098:blood supply*; D002536:Cerebral Arteries / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000601:surgery; D002550:Cerebral Veins / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000601:surgery; D003116:Color; D006801:Humans; D007269:Injections, Intra-Arterial; D007275:Injections, Intravenous; D007396:Internship and Residency; D009493:Neurosurgery / Q000193:education*; D012826:Silicone Elastomers
D012826:Silicone Elastomers