Human Cadaver Preservation Techniques During Prolonged Dissection on Downdraft Tables in a Gross Anatomy Laboratory

The purpose of this study is to determine the best method(s) for maintaining the integrity of cadavers during prolonged dissections on downdraft tables in the medical student anatomy course. Downdraft tables have become increasingly common in gross anatomy laboratories and are one of the most effective ways to minimize exposure to formaldehyde. Unfortunately, the improved ventilation of the cadaver during prolonged dissection increases the likelihood of the cadaver drying out. This is particularly problematic in the human gross anatomy course because the dry cadaveric tissue makes it more difficult to identify anatomical structures. Following full body dissection on downdraft tables, four cadaveric forearms were maintained in four different manners: uncovered (control), wrapped in a cloth, enclosed in a plastic bag, and wrapped in a cloth as well as enclosed in a plastic bag. Three weeks later, faculty and medical students who were blind to the preservation methods evaluated the quality of the four cadaver forearms using a Likert‐scale cadaver integrity assessment (CIA) developed by the researchers. The quality of three non‐control forearms was rated as significantly higher for all measures of the CIA than the control forearms (P < 0.05). There was insufficient evidence to conclude that there was any difference in quality between the three non‐control forearms in all but two measures of the CIA (P > 0.05). We therefore conclude that leaving the cadavers on downdraft tables for only a few weeks allows the tissue to dry out, leading to cadavers with poorly preserved anatomy. The drying out process can be mitigated in part by wrapping the limbs of the cadaver in a cloth, a bag, or both between uses. This would be especially beneficial during gross anatomy courses so that students could learn human anatomy from a cadaver with well‐preserved anatomical structures.