Using sous vide method for hot water maceration and cleaning of bone specimens from fresh and embalmed human cadavers

Abstract

Purpose Sous vide is a cooking method, which enhances heat flow and enables cooking at regulated temperatures in plastic pouches that have been vacuum-sealed. This procedure can be used as an alternative to bone maceration because of this property. This study describes how fresh and embalmed human specimens can be macerated and cleaned using sous vide. Methods Eighth head and neck, seven upper, and five lower extremity specimens from ten fresh and three embalmed cadavers at the Department of Anatomy of the Ko & ccedil; University School of Medicine were used. Soft tissues were removed, and specimens were vacuum sealed in plastic pouches filled with water and dishwashing detergent solution. Maceration was set at 65 degrees C for three to four days with a commercial sous vide device. Blunt instruments were used to remove any leftover soft tissue in between every maceration session. Following the maceration, a concentrated acetone solution was used for further degreasing. Results The method successfully cleaned all fresh specimens. While some embalmed specimens were completely cleaned, maceration of extremely dried out embalmed cadavers were suboptimal. It took three to five maceration rounds to completely clean small (vertebrae, carpal bones etc.) and large (skulls, femurs, humeri etc.) bones. Conclusion Sous vide successfully cleaned fresh and embalmed human bones. It allowed easy monitoring of the process, reduced the exposure of staff to unpleasant odor and biological waste, and minimized the need for cleaning by using consumables.