The contribution of plastinates to teaching complex anatomy of the heart

Objectives: The use of plastination can minimize health risks and cost in anatomy laboratories. Plastinates are easy to han- dle and can facilitate the learning of complex anatomical structures. Therefore, we aimed to evaluate the contribution of plastinates to teaching complex anatomy of the heart. Methods: Standard S10 technique was used for heart plastination by fixation, dehydration, impregnation and curing stages. Ninety volunteer first-year medicine students at Akdeniz University, who did not take cardiovascular system anatomy lectures yet, were included. Formalin-fixed heart specimens were used in the lecture of group 1; both formalin-fixed heart specimens and heart plastinates were used in the lecture of group 2. After the lecture, a 10-question exam was administered. Statistical significance between the scores of the two groups was tested with one sample t-test, and post hoc Tukey test was used for multiple comparisons. Results: The pre-test scores of the groups were compared with the scores obtained after the 2 hours of lecture (p=0.002, p0.05). The test scores of both groups increased significantly after the lecture (p0.05). The post-test scores of group 2 wer e significantly higher than group 1 (p= 0.047, p0.05). The average test scores of those trained with formalin-fixed specimens increased from 23.78±1.94 to 48.22±3.19 (p0.05). Students gave positive feedback about heart plastinates, and they stated that their rising interest in the anatomy lecture due to the odourless, disinfected and reusable materials. Conclusion: In conclusion, besides being cost-effective, healthy, long lasting and easy to maintain materials, plastinates are useful tools to teach complex anatomical structure