Tissue Elimination of Large Vascular Corrosion Casting for Anatomy Education

Objective: Vascular corrosion casting is crucial tool for three-dimensional study. Focusing on the casting for gross anatomy, large fatty tissue reacts with corrosive agents resulting in extensive saponification. Our study aimed to prevent saponification by a) finding the optimal corrosion temperature and concentration of corrosive agent and b) comparing the flow of the agent with conventional “non-flow” setting. Materials and Methods: Phase I: pig fatty tissues, weighing 10 g each, were immersed in still (non-flowing) solution containing 0.5%, 1%, and 5% sodium hydroxide. Different temperatures were set to find the minimum soap-free temperature for each concentration. Phases II, III: 6 pig hearts were injected via the coronary arteries with polymethyl methacrylate. Three hearts were immersed in non-flowing 0.5%, 1%, and 5% NaOH solution, while another three were placed in a flowing solution. The flow was set in a vertical upward fashion in a specialized chamber while the outflow residue was collected from the system. The temperature was set at the minimum soap-free temperature. The durations of the corrosion were compared. Results: The minimum soap-free temperatures for the 0.5%, 1%, and 5% concentrations were 55°C, 54°C, and 47°C, respectively. The corrosion times for the non-flowing 0.5%, 1%, and 5% concentrations were 216 h, 114 h, and 24 h, respectively. Flowing of the solution reduced the corrosion time by 25%-39% compared with the non-flowing. Conclusion: The most efficient condition for soap-free coronary corrosion casting is 5% NaOH solution at a minimal temperature of 47°C