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Published on: January 4, 2013
Intravascular injection of colored molding materials for human anatomy teaching: a literature review
Sami Schranz1, Hugues Cadas2, Sara Sabatasso2
1Faculty Unit of Anatomy and Morphology (UFAM), University Center of Legal Medicine Lausanne-Geneva (CURML), Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV), University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland. sami.schranz@unil.ch.
Purpose:
Intravascular injection of colored molding materials used either alone or in combination with radiological contrast agents is increasingly used to enhance vascular visualization in cadaveric specimens for anatomical education and surgical training. Published studies remain scattered and show substantial methodological variation. This structured literature review summarizes current practices regarding specimen preparation, injection techniques, casting materials, contrast agents, and imaging modalities, with particular emphasis on their educational applications.
Materials And Methods:
A comprehensive literature search was conducted in PubMed, Scopus, Embase, Web of Science, and Google Scholar (1975-August 2025) using English, French, and German keywords. Reference lists were screened manually. After removal of duplicates, 702 records were screened, 145 full-text articles assessed, and 78 studies included.
Results:
Included studies demonstrated variability in casting materials (primarily latex, with silicone, epoxy, and acrylic resins also reported), contrast agents (iodinated and barium-based compounds and lead oxide for CT, with gadolinium-based formulations predominantly used for MRI), perfusion pressures, flushing strategies, and specimen conditions (fresh-frozen, formalin-fixed, and Thiel-embalmed). However, methodological heterogeneity and inconsistent reporting limited direct comparison between approaches. The review nevertheless identifies representative reported technical protocols and highlights the main practical variables influencing protocol selection.
Conclusion:
Contrast-enhanced vascular casting provides valuable tools for anatomy education and surgical training by enabling direct correlation between radiological datasets and anatomical dissection. Beyond summarizing the literature, this review also offers practical protocol-selection guidance according to educational, research, and imaging objectives. As such, it may serve as a useful reference for teams implementing or refining these techniques in modern teaching environments.
