Common Challenges and Solutions Associated with the Preparation of Silicone-Injected Human Head and Neck Vessels for Anatomical Study

Abstract

Neuroanatomy laboratory training is crucial for the education of neurosurgery residents and medical students. Since the brain is a complex and three-dimensional structure, it is challenging to understand the anatomical relationship of the cortex, internal structures, arteries, and veins without appropriate adjuncts. Several injection agents—including the inks/dyes, latex, polyester, acrylic resins, phenol, polyethylene glycol, and phenoxyethanol—have been explored. Colored silicon injection protocols for the head and neck vessels’ perfusion have greatly aided the study of neuroanatomy and surgical planning. This report presents a colored silicone injection method in detail, and also highlights the technical shortcomings of the standard techniques and workarounds for common challenges during 35 human cadaveric head injections. The human cadaveric head preparation and the coloring of the head vessels are divided into decapitation, tissue fixation with 10% formalin, the placement of the Silastic tubing into the parent vessels, the cleaning of the vessels from clots, and the injection of the colored silicone into the vessels. We describe the technical details of the preparation, injection, and preservation of cadaveric heads, and outline common challenges during colored silicone injection, which include the dislocation of the Silastic tubing during the injection, the injection of the wrong or inappropriate colored silicone into the vessel, intracranial vessel perforation, the incomplete silicone casting of the vessel, and silicone leakage from small vessels in the neck. Solutions to these common challenges are provided. Ethyl alcohol fixed, colored human heads provided the long-term preservation of tissue, and improve the sample consistency and preservation for the teaching of neuroanatomy and surgical technique.