Large specimen bone embedment and cement line staining.
Undecalcified embedment of large bone specimens is often challenging. A method is presented here that is suitable for methacrylate embedment of sections of canine vertebrae while retaining the ability to localize tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase and alkaline phosphatase activity. Specimens also retained tetracycline labelling, and sectioned preparations were readily stained with routine bone procedures. A modification of the Bodian silver stain, used for examining the nerves and spinal cord in these specimens, provided a useful stain for canaliculi and cement lines in trabecular and cortical bone. This stain is advantageous when both bone and nerve tissue are of interest, as in spinal fusion studies.
Gruber
H E
HE
Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Carolinas Medical Center, Charlotte, North Carolina 28232, USA. hegruber@med.unc.edu
Stasky
A A
AA
D000818:Animals; D001842:Bone and Bones / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D004285:Dogs; D008689:Methacrylates; D016613:Plastic Embedding / Q000379:methods*; D016622:Silver Staining; D013752:Tetracycline
D008689:Methacrylates; D013752:Tetracycline