Sectioning of Undecalcified Bone; with Special Reference to Radioautographic Applications

A rapid technic for the preparation of 6 μ serial sections of undecalcified bone is described. The specimen is fixed and dehydrated in acetone and ether. It is then treated with a 1:1 mixture of the monomers of ethyl and n-butyl methacrylate catalyzed with benzoyl peroxide. The monomers are removed with ether and the ether is removed under vacuum. Infiltration is accomplished under vacuum using a partial polymer of the same mixture of monomers. Polymerization is completed in 36 hours under pressure at 50°C. The tissue is sectioned with a heavy-duty microtome, the sections are mounted on glass slides and nuclear emulsions applied. Young and adult bone of laboratory animals and man have been cut successfully. Microscopic structural detail is preserved and there is no evidence of translocation of the radioactivity.