The Journal of the Arkansas Medical Society Med Journal Sept 2019 FInal 2 | Page 20
Limitations of this study included the use
of lightly embalmed cadavers rather than fresh-
frozen unembalmed cadavers, as post mortem
changes may limit the spread of dye. Light
embalming differs from standard embalming in
that the embalming solution is weaker, a smaller
volume of embalming fluid is used, and the fluid
is not allowed to accumulate in the body under
pressure. 11 This process has allowed lightly
embalmed cadavers to consistently achieve
satisfactory conditions for soft-tissue work.
Research studies utilizing lightly embalmed
cadavers range from routine regional dissection
to the studies of nerves and blood vessels and
even the ultrasound diagnosis of pneumothorax.
The condition of tissue is close to that found in
the living body, both in color and texture and
is suitable for clinical procedural training. 11, 12
Ultimately, injection of dye into the PIF plane of
the lightly embalmed cadavers had a similar
sonographic appearance to the injection of local
anesthetic in vivo. 2. Torre PA, Garcia PD, Alvarez SL, et al. A
Novel Ultrasound-Guided Block: A Promising
Alternative for Breast Analgesia. Aesthetic
Surgery Journal. 2014; 34(1): 198-200.
In conclusion, the dissection of the chest
walls of lightly embalmed cadavers following the
ultrasound-guided injection of the PIF plane has
proven that injectate reliably spreads throughout
the entire plane. The involvement of the anterior
cutaneous branch of the intercostal nerve was
consistent suggesting that reliable analgesia
should be achieved for sternotomy pain. 3. Bignami E, Castella A, Pota V, et al. Perioperative
pain management in cardiac surgery: a
systematic review. Minerva Anestesiologica.
2018; 84(4):488-503.
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5. Chaudhary V, Chauhan S, Choudhury M, et al.
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8. Anderson SD. Practical light embalming
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9. Davies F. The Anatomy of the Intercostal Nerves.
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10. Standring S, Gray H. Gray’s Anatomy: The
Anatomical Basis of Clinical Practice. Edinburgh:
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11. Adhikari S, Zeger W, Wadman M, et al.
Assessment of a human cadaver model for
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Biomedical Research International. 2014;
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12. Wadman MC, Lomneth CS, Hoffman LH, et
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