title: Acrylic Resin Molding Based Head Fixation Technique in Rodents.
abstract: Head fixation is a technique of immobilizing animal's head by attaching a head-post on the skull for rigid clamping. Traditional head fixation requires surgical attachment of metallic frames on the skull. The attached frames are then clamped to a stationary platform resulting in immobilization of the head. However, metallic frames for head fixation have been technically difficult to design and implement in general laboratory environment. In this study, we provide a novel head fixation method. Using a custom-made head fixation bar, head mounter is constructed during implantation surgery. After the application of acrylic resin for affixing implants such as electrodes and cannula on the skull, additional resins applied on top of that to build a mold matching to the port of the fixation bar. The molded head mounter serves as a guide rails, investigators conveniently fixate the animal's head by inserting the head mounter into the port of the fixation bar. This method could be easily applicable if implantation surgery using dental acrylics is necessary and might be useful for laboratories that cannot easily fabricate CNC machined metal head-posts.
authors: Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine and Brain Science and Engineering Institute, Kyungpook National University.
authors: Mootaek
authors: M
authors: Roh
authors: Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine and Brain Science and Engineering Institute, Kyungpook National University.
authors: Kyungmin
authors: K
authors: Lee
authors: Department of Pharmacology, School of Dentistry and Brain Science and Engineering Institute, Kyungpook National University.
authors: Il-Sung
authors: IS
authors: Jang
authors: Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine and Brain Science and Engineering Institute, Kyungpook National University.
authors: Kyoungho
authors: K
authors: Suk
authors: Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine and Brain Science and Engineering Institute, Kyungpook National University; mglee@knu.ac.kr.
authors: Maan-Gee
authors: MG
authors: Lee
mesh_terms: D000180:Acrylic Resins; D000818:Animals; D004867:Equipment Design; D006257:Head / Q000502:physiology*; D007103:Immobilization / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods*; D019736:Prostheses and Implants; D051381:Rats; D012886:Skull
chemical_list: D000180:Acrylic Resins