[Histonet] Artifact in Muscle bx's frozen for extended time

[Sharon Allen]

Hi, 
I would like suggestions on how to eliminate or decrease the effects of extended storage of muscle bx's in a -70°C freezer.  We do approx. 150 muscle bx's /year in our Neuropathology Lab and we keep all frozen muscle bx's indefinitely, (we have them all from the 80's on). We are asked fairly regularly to go back to these cases for diagnostic & research purposes & find many of them are compromised, readable but not optimum,  I am assuming from drying out from months/years of freezing.
We freeze them using the isopentane/liquid nitrogen method on a pc of cork with OCT anchoring them.  We store them in a small plastic tube with a screw top.
I would like to know if anyone has further methods to eliminate this artefact.
Possibly sealing with OCT?  Placing water in the bottom of the tube?   Wrapping the muscle bx in Parafilm, tin foil etc?
What containers do you use to store them in if you do not get this artefact?
Suggestions for long term storage would be very much appreciated.
Thanks
Sharon Allen
Senior Neuropathology Technologist
HSC
WPG, MB, CA
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