[Histonet] Rat and Mouse Bone histology methods and equipment--HELP

[Jamie E Erickson]

Hello Histonetter,
                                      I hope someone out there in 
histoland can help me. I am about to be thrust (kicking and screaming) 
into the world of undecalcified bone histology and I need lots of help. My 
goals for 2009 will involve sectioning/staining and doing Image analysis 
on undecalcified rat and mouse bone samples.
    I am not completely unfamiliar with these methods but I learn these 
methods from some wise old, I mean experienced ladies that were 
specialists in bone histology. These ladies have now since retired and I 
am without any methods. 
      I work in a small (2 histologist, 1 pathologist)  histolab that does 
mouse and rat work and only decalcifed bone tissue.  I have done plastic 
work in the past but that was 10 years ago in a land far, far away...
     If anyone out there could please refer me to a histology text books 
or share methods that would be of great help. 

 If you do rat and  mouse bone work and would be will to talk about 
methods/stains/ embedding/grinding/plastic processing/ image analysis that 
would be absolutely great.

Thanks for any help you can provide..

Jamie

_______________________________
Jamie Erickson
Sr. Research Associate II
Department: DSMP
Abbott Bioresearch Center
100 Research Drive
Worcester, MA 01605-4341
508-688-3134
FAX: 508-793-4895
e-mail: jamie.erickson <@t> abbott.com