Plastination for gross anatomy teaching using low cost equipment.

Plastination offers a means of keeping anatomical specimens without the usual problems associated with wet specimens ie desiccation, mould and specific storage requirements. Plastinated specimens are clean and odourless, require minimal aftercare and can be stored on shelves or in display cases. These specimens are more durable and robust than wet specimens showing similar features. The techniques described in this paper for plastination are cost effective, and produce good quality, robust specimens using low cost equipment which is readily available in most Anatomy departments. The procedures described are easy to follow used in conjunction with von Hagens [4] plastination technical notes.