Ultrasound during dissection of cadaveric specimens: a new method for obtaining ultrasound-anatomic correlations in musculoskeletal radiology

We report a new technique for ultrasound-anatomic correlations consisting of dissection of embalmed specimens during ultrasound examination. Our method consists of performing ultrasound during the different stages of dissection. The technique was developed by making observations of selected structures in two embalmed and two non-embalmed cadaver hands. The image quality was subjectively graded by consensus of two investigators, before and after denudation of the selected structures of the hand. As an example, the technique is demonstrated for the flexors at the metacarpophalangeal joint level, the extensor complex at the level of the proximal phalanx, and the dorsal hood of the second to fourth fingers. Before dissection the image quality in fresh specimens was graded moderate, and in embalmed specimens good. After dissection the image quality was good in fresh specimens and excellent in embalmed specimens. Our method is simple and does not require sophisticated material. Our results indicate that embalmed specimens could be better than non-embalmed specimens, because of the presence of artefacts in the non-embalmed specimens (gas deposits). The described methodology can yield excellent results regarding precise identification of different interfaces and structures, as observed at ultrasound.