Abstract

Background: Museum specimens for anatomical and pathological studies are commonly mounted for display in Kaiserling’s solution-filled jar. The present study was designed to demonstrate and compare a new method of supporting museum specimens in a jar known as Plastic pole method (PPM) with previous methods [Nylon tread (NTM) and Plastic bottle methods (PBM)]. Materials and Methods: Two specimens for mounting were obtained from the Teaching Laboratory of the Department of Anatomy, UNEC. The specimens were bisected and each half was supported using either of 3 mounting methods (PPM, NTM, and PBM) in museum jars using the standard Kaiserling’s technique. The mounted specimens were exhibited to fifty (50) participants (10 staff and 40 students) of the Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, University of Nigeria. Questionnaires were administered for evaluation of the exhibits under the following criteria: clarity, multi-viewing points, stability of the specimen on its support materials, transparency of the museum mounts, and aesthetic outlook. The quality index of each method was determined from the scores of the participants. Data obtained were statistically analysed and p values <0.05 were considered significant. Results: Quality index scores of 86.82%, 69.76%, and 77.76%, for PPM, NTM, and PBM respectively. On clarity basis, PBM had the highest score of 212, while NTM had the lowest score of 172. PPM had the best scores for all other criteria. Conclusion: The novel method demonstrated in the present study (Plastic pole method) is readily available, easy and effective for learning. Thus, it appears to be a promising technique for the mounting of anatomic pathological specimens in a medical museum.

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