(P10) Novel Gax-specimens and Britevu Contrast Is the Medium of Choice with CBCT & Ultrasound While Training Implantology Specialists

Purpose of the Study: The purpose of this study was to evaluate GAX-prepared cadaver specimens perfused with BriteVu contrast as a novel medium for dental implantology training. Fresh frozen donor cadavers (FFDC) traditionally used in implant education have a narrow usability window, lack vascular contrast, and collapse quickly, limiting imaging and dissection fidelity. This study aimed to determine whether GAX-specimens combined with BriteVu, CBCT, and ultrasound could provide a more lifelike, durable, and anatomically accurate training platform for implant specialists, improving imaging interpretation, surgical dissection, and overall educational outcomes.

Methods: A literature review was performed to identify prior use of GAX-prepared specimens, BriteVu contrast, CBCT, and ultrasound in dental implant training. Donor cadavers (n=12; 24 sides) were prepared as GAX-specimens and perfused with BriteVu contrast to visualize the vascular system. CBCT was used to generate 3D reconstructions for surgical assessment and planning, while handheld GE Vscan Air ultrasound probes were employed to evaluate muscles, vessels, and bony structures in real time. Following imaging, surgical dissections and implant placements were conducted to assess tissue fidelity, dissection planes, and overall educational utility compared with fresh frozen cadavers.

Results: The literature review revealed no prior studies describing GAX-specimens perfused with BriteVu contrast for CBCT and handheld ultrasound imaging in dental implant training. All 24 sides were successfully prepared and perfused, producing high-resolution vascular architecture visible in CBCT-rendered 3D images that aided surgical assessment, planning, and implant placement. Ultrasound effectively identified muscles, vessels, and bony structures. Twelve senior surgical implant specialists rated the GAX-specimens superior to fresh frozen or formalin-fixed cadavers, reporting unmatched lifelike qualities in tissue consistency, resistance, color, and smell. All 24 fourth-year dental students reported that the GAX-BriteVu medium provided the most realistic training experience they had encountered to date.

Conclusion: This study demonstrates that GAX-prepared cadaver specimens perfused with BriteVu contrast provide a superior training medium for dental implantology compared with fresh frozen or formalin-fixed cadavers. The combination of preserved tissue quality, full vascular perfusion, and compatibility with CBCT and ultrasound produced highly realistic anatomical visualization and dissection planes. Both implant specialists and dental students rated the specimens as the most lifelike medium for surgical training to date. These findings suggest that GAX-specimens with BriteVu contrast offer a reproducible, cost-effective, and educationally valuable platform for training implant specialists, bridging the gap between traditional cadaveric models and clinical practice.

Articles: Benninger B, McCluskey J. MicroCT angiograms of the wrist/hand reveal extraordinary detailed vascular anatomy from novel prepared donor cadavers with innovative contrast and minimal structure distortion. Abstract IA-0179 presented at: American Academy of Implant Dentistry (AAID) Annual Conference; 2025; Phoenix, AZ.
Bell CD, O’Sullivan JG, Ostervoss TE, Cameron WE, Petering RC, Brady JM. Surgical simulation maximizing the use of fresh-frozen cadaveric specimens: examination of tissue integrity using ultrasound. J Grad Med Educ. 2020;12(3):329-334. doi:10.4300/JGME-D-19-00553.1.
Fulsher E, McCluskey J, Benninger B. Can a donor cadaver be prepared and preserved using a novel medium with innovative contrast for conventional knee CT-arteriograms, lifelike movement and surgical dissection within 24 hours and beyond. Abstract IA-0180 presented at: International Federation of Associations of Anatomists (IFAA) Symposium; 2024; Istanbul, Turkey. Published in: Anat Cell Biol. 2024;57(3 Suppl):S65. doi:10.5115/ACBIFAA2024.
McCluskey J, Fulsher E, Benninger B. Human MicroCT angiograms of the ankle/foot region from a novel donor cadaver preparation with innovative contrast continues to improve, fascinate and nurture the quest for anatomy detail and accuracy.

Books: Moore KL, Dalley AF, Agur AMR. Clinically Oriented Anatomy. 7th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Wolters Kluwer/Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 2014.