[Histonet] Horse bones

[Piero Nelva]

For tough or brittle, but not necessarily calcified tissue, I find that 
soaking the block on a water soaked tissue for 10-15 minutes effective for 
softening.  It can sometimes take all day to get a section, as trimming 
sometimes has to be done 4-5 microns at a time!!

Piero Nelva
Monash Medical Centre
Victoria
Australia
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "louise renton" <louise.renton <@t> gmail.com>
To: <BERGERJL <@t> aol.com>; <Histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu>
Sent: Wednesday, August 06, 2008 5:58 PM
Subject: Re: [Histonet] Horse bones


> Some things to think about....
>
> Rinse the tissue well with running tap water after decal and before
> processing - this seems to make  a difference (depends on the size of the
> bone - 2hrs to overnight)
>
> EMbed the bones so that the long axis is either at right angles or 45
> degrees to the blade so that the edge of the knife doesn't have to cut
> through a narrow band of cortical bone along its entire length - this 
> causes
> "skipping"(If this is unclear I can send you an attachment with a 
> diagramme)
>
> Once you have faced the blocks put the face down on ice in a -20 deg 
> freezer
> overnight (chest type freezer). then remove the one ata time for 
> sectioning.
>
> I have only had limited sucess with soaking the  faced blocks in fabric
> softener undiluted.
>
> Hopes this helps
>
> best regards
>
>
> On 8/6/08, BERGERJL <@t> aol.com <BERGERJL <@t> aol.com> wrote:
>>
>> We are trying to section pieces of horse femurs, fetlock and
>> carpal  joints.
>> They have been decalcified with either HCl decal or formic acid  decal.
>> Before routine processing the bones appear to be decalcified, but  at
>> sectioning
>> they are very hard and brittle (even after surface decal) and chip  out 
>> of
>> the
>> paraffin block.
>> Any suggestions would be helpful.  A pathologist suggested a soap 
>> soaking
>> solution but could not remember the name of the soap.
>>
>> Help and thank you,
>>
>> R. Berger, HT
>>
>>
>>
>>
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>
>
>
> -- 
> Louise Renton
> Bone Research Unit
> University of the Witwatersrand
> Johannesburg
> South Africa
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