A Technique for Clinical Anatomical Correlations

During the past decade, rapid advances in the clinical disciplines and milestone achievements in diagnostic imaging such as x-ray computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging and ultrasonography, have aroused renewed interest in gross anatomy and detailed segmental anatomical correlations.In orthopaedic surgery, the development of new techniques for the treatment of disorders of the joints and the spine such as alloplastic joint replacement, ligament reconstruction, arthroscopic surgery, decompressive surgery for spinal stenosis o r improved management of spinal fractures all call for thorough knowledge of functional anatomy and biomechanics. In a clinical-anatomical investigation of popliteal cysts and their r elationship to the gastrocnemio-semimembranosus bursa (4), knee specimens were frozen in various postures and then serially sectioned on a large, heavy-duty cryomicrotome, devised by Ullberg (7,8) for autoradiographic studies in undecalcified experimental animals up to the size of monkeys. Specific requirement inherent in studies of musculoskeletal anatomy prompted modifications of the original cryosectioning technique. In this article, a description of the cryoplaning technique is supplemented with illustrative examples of spine anatomy.