Improvement of veterinary anatomy by using recent scientific techniques for skeleton preparation and preservation

• Published in: Pure and applied biology 2023-06, Vol.12 (2), p.848-853
• Main Author: Javid, Muhammad Arshad
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adhesives; Anatomy; Animals; Bleaching; Bones; Caustic soda; Copper wire; Degreasing; Dissection; Drilling; Gasoline; Hydrogen peroxide; Insects; Laboratories; Larvae; Maceration; Preservation; Sodium hydroxide; Soft tissues; Tendons; Vertebrae; Veterinary medicine; Wire
• ISSN: 2304-2478; 2304-2478
• DOI: 10.19045/bspab.2023.120084

The research study was designed to strengthen and better understand the learning skills in veterinary anatomy by using recent scientific skeleton preparation and preservation techniques. The study was conducted at the skeleton preparation section, anatomy laboratory, Department of Bio-Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Bahauddin Zakariya University Multan, Pakistan. Adult healthy / postmortem cow, horse, goats, dog and peacock, were used in this study. The internal soft tissue organs were kept in a 10% prepared formalin solution after the animals had been skinned and dissected. Boiling and maceration techniques were used to prepare the skeleton models and loose bones. Bones were first boiled in caustic soda for 4 to 8 hours and then degreased with gasoline for seven days for large animals and five days for small animals. After that, bones were left to dry naturally for a day. Then bones were bleached in a 4% hydrogen peroxide solution for two days. In the maceration technique, insect larvae were used to clean the bones but prolonged the time for better results. Bones were drilled and fixed with copper wire and adhesive material. The vertebral column and both limbs were supported by iron rods. Skeletons were assembled on the wooden base. These prepared skeleton models and loose bones were used to learn veterinary anatomy.