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Updated: Aug 7, 2026
Surgical Training for the Implantation of Neocortical Microelectrode Arrays Using a Formaldehyde-fixed Human Cadaver Model
Published on: November 19, 2017
Microneurosurgical training model in fresh cadaveric cow brain: a laboratory study simulating the approach to the
Tufan Hicdonmez1, M Kemal Hamamcioglu, Mehmet Tiryaki
1Department of Neurosurgery, Trakya University Faculty of Medicine, 22030 Edirne, Turkey. tufanhicodonmez@yahoo.com
Background:
Residents of neurosurgery need many years to develop microneurosurgical skills, and laboratory training models are essential for developing and refining surgical skills before clinical application of microneurosurgery. A simple simulation model is needed for young residents to learn how to handle microneurosurgical instruments, and to perform safe dissection of intracranial vessels and nerves.
Methods:
The material consists of a 2-year-old fresh cadaveric cow cranium. A 4-step approach was designed to dissect the internal carotid artery and its proximal branches, the optic nerve, the optic chiasm, and the pituitary stalk.
Results:
The model simulates standard microneurosurgery using a variety of approaches to vessels and neural structures in and around the circle of Willis of the human brain.
Conclusion:
The cadaveric cow brain, besides being cost-effective, represents a fairly useful method to accustom residents of neurosurgery, especially junior residents, to dissecting intracranial vessels and nerves, and it simulates intracranial microneurosurgical procedures performed in the human brain.