title: Improved microradiographic contrast for bone stain-historadiography.
abstract: Microradiographs of 5-micron sections of methyl methacrylate embedded undemineralized bone show poor resolution, but prestaining with silver nitrate increases the radioopacity of the calcified tissues to soft x-rays without masking regional differences in microscopic mineralization. Identical results are achieved using aqueous (pH 5.8 and 7.5) or ammoniacal solutions (pH 7.9). Atomic absorption spectrometry detected no loss of calcium from the sections during staining. Osteoid in plastic-embedded bone is not rendered radiopaque by this technique even after prolonged staining times (5 min-2 hr).
mesh_terms: D001345:Autoradiography; D006801:Humans; D007085:Ilium / Q000166:cytology*; D012835:Silver Nitrate; D013194:Staining and Labeling
chemical_list: D012835:Silver Nitrate