What are the main activities you carry out at the Institute of Anatomy?  

My main specific duties are directly related to the operation of the Anatomical Theatre, from receiving the corpses to their preparation and optimization. At the moment the new plastination laboratory I am responsible for, under the supervision of Professor Gonçalves Ferreira, is almost finished. However, like many other employees, I am totally versatile, performing other tasks at the Institute of Anatomy.

To what extent does your activity contribute to the training of new doctors?                                        

With regard to human parts, for example, it is extremely important that they are well prepared, given that students study based on them. Thus, the better the preparation of the parts, the better students study and, as a result, they will be better trained.

What happens to a corpse between arriving at the Institute and leaving it?

When a body is received, it is necessary to make an initial assessment to ascertain what its usefulness is. Then, it is washed and prepared before being stored in a freezing or cooling chamber. Each body is unique, with different uses, preparation and destinations, depending on the needs of the Institute of Anatomy. Generally speaking, the body is taken to dissection classes, postgraduate courses or for preparation of anatomical parts/models. All these activities are carried out at the Anatomical Theatre and the use of a body is always optimized to the most, so that each corpse can be of maximum value. The body may not even leave the Institute of Anatomy, as even the bones may be useful for the teaching of osteology.

For how long is the body, on average, kept at the Institute? 

It is not easy to give a precise answer because as I said earlier, each body is unique. Corpses have completely different durability and in some cases they may not leave the Institute of Anatomy at all.

Can you tell us what the plastination technique is? What are its stages? 

The plastination technique essentially consists in replacing the water in tissues by a type of silicone or polyester. This process requires three different stages: dehydration, impregnation and polymerization or curing.
Dehydration is a cold process (-20°C) to ensure reduced shrinkage of the tissue structures, as it is done using acetone. Dehydration is followed by impregnation, which is also performed in a cold environment in a container with special characteristics, since it is necessary to exert a large vacuum pressure. When performing the vacuum, we remove the acetone from the tissues and because there is high negative pressure, there is a forced entry of silicone into the spaces left empty by the acetone. The plastination technique is terminated with polymerization or curing, which is done using a vapour created by a specific liquid.
The entire plastination technique is conducted in an appropriate laboratory prepared for that purpose, as it involves handling extremely flammable liquids.

In practice, people donate their bodies to science when they are still alive. However, plastination can raise some moral, ethical and religious issues. In your opinion, how does the scientific community handle this issue?

All the activities that can be carried out using a body are done with profound respect, and all those involved are cautioned accordingly.
Regarding plastination, it does not pose further problems since there are also anatomical preparations preserved in formaldehyde. Plastination is just a different means of preservation. In my opinion, it is much more elucidatory and enables students to have direct contact with the preparation process of anatomical parts and hence, to have a better education. It must be pointed out that both anatomical parts preserved in formaldehyde and plastinized ones are for the exclusive use of the Institute of Anatomy only for scientific and educational purposes.

Dr. Pedro Henriques
Anatomy Technician
Institute of Anatomy – FMUL