Hazel Processing using alcohol then xylene? If so then suspect too long in alcohol or using xylene is your major problem with paraffin wax a close second. Can use chloroform as an intermediary agent and bone will not harden as much. If you must use xylene, try to soak in a mixture of xylene:paraffin wax (1:1) at room temperature for at least a few hours. This allows some wax to penetrate into the tissue and cuts down time in paraffin wax. Barry
-----Original Message----- From: histonet-boun...@lists.utsouthwestern.edu [mailto:histonet-boun...@lists.utsouthwestern.edu] On Behalf Of Horn, Hazel V Sent: Tuesday, April 14, 2009 4:17 PM To: rjbu...@yahoo.com; histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu Subject: RE: [Histonet] decaling bones The bone appears soft and easy to cut with a razor blade but after processing the tissue is as hard as brick. Any suggestions? Hazel Horn Hazel Horn, HT/HTL (ASCP) Supervisor of Histology Arkansas Children's Hospital 1 Children's Way Slot 820 Little Rock, AR 72202 phone 501.364.4240 fax 501.364.3155 visit us on the web at: www.archildrens.org ________________________________ From: Rene J Buesa [mailto:rjbu...@yahoo.com] Sent: Tuesday, April 14, 2009 4:02 PM To: histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu; Horn, Hazel V Subject: Re: [Histonet] decaling bones No, once it is decalcified, that's it! René J. --- On Tue, 4/14/09, Horn, Hazel V <hor...@archildrens.org> wrote: From: Horn, Hazel V <hor...@archildrens.org> Subject: [Histonet] decaling bones To: histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu Date: Tuesday, April 14, 2009, 12:04 PM We are having the hardest time decaling bones. Femurs and tibias. Is there such as thing as overdecaling and the bone becoming hard again? Hazel Horn Hazel Horn, HT/HTL (ASCP) Supervisor of Histology Arkansas Children's Hospital 1 Children's Way Slot 820 Little Rock, AR 72202 phone 501.364.4240 fax 501.364.3155 visit us on the web at: www.archildrens.org ****************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************** The information contained in this message may be privileged and confidential and protected from disclosure. If the reader of this message is not the intended recipient, or an employee or agent responsible for delivering this message to the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any dissemination, distribution or copying of this communication is strictly prohibited. If you have received this communication in error, please notify us immediately by replying to the message and deleting it from your computer. Thank you. _______________________________________________ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet ****************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************** The information contained in this message may be privileged and confidential and protected from disclosure. If the reader of this message is not the intended recipient, or an employee or agent responsible for delivering this message to the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any dissemination, distribution or copying of this communication is strictly prohibited. If you have received this communication in error, please notify us immediately by replying to the message and deleting it from your computer. Thank you. _______________________________________________ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet _______________________________________________ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet