Modified tetrachrome method for osteoid and defectively mineralized bone in paraffin sections.

A new modification of the tetrachrome method for bone osteoid in paraffin sections has been designed. The modified tetrachrome method suitable for routine use in any histology laboratory retains the simplicity of the original method and gives good results on the freshly fixed, decalcified, paraffin embedded material. Osteoid tissue is stained deep blue and normally mineralized bone is stained red.

Freezing of orthopaedic specimens before mechanical testing.

The effect of storage at sub-zero temperatures and subsequent thawing was investigated in dissected muscles, tendons, limbs and spines. Freezing caused a noticeable shortening of muscles which when thawed could easily be elongated; the same effects, though less pronounced, were observed with tendons. During freezing, myotomy or tenotomy led to the development of a striking deformity owing to unopposed shortening of the opposing muscles.

Treatment of bone weakness in patients with femoral neck fracture by fluoride, calcium and vitamin D.

Twenty-three of 46 patients, aged 56 to 95 years, with fracture of the femoral neck (FNF) completed the first trial of 10 months treatment with oral sodium fluoride 60 mg and calcium 1800 mg on alternate days and 1 micrograms of vitamin D1 daily. Pre-treatment and post-treatment biopsy specimens and microradiographs of the iliac crest and metacarpal and spinal radiographs were evaluated together with biopsy material from seven untreated age-matched controls with FNF. In 17 patients the treatment improved the amount and quality of trabecular bone.

The use of Dexon as a replacement for the calcaneal tendon in sheep.

We have studied the use of filamentous polyglycolic acid (Dexon) for the induction of neotendon in the calcaneal tendon of sheep. Uniformly good results were obtained, with the formation of a thick neotendon. However, in a control group the power of spontaneous regeneration of the tendon was studied; it was found that, provided overlengthening of the gap was prevented, an equally good tendon resulted.

Flexible carbon fibre in late ligamentous reconstruction for instability of the knee.

Sixty-three knees with chronic ligamentous instability treated with flexible carbon fibre are reviewed. Assessment was by pre-operative and postoperative grading of function in work and sport, together with a subjective evaluation of the result based on stability. Fifteen knees had collateral repairs, seven had cruciate repairs and 41 had combined collateral and cruciate repairs.

Postmortem recognition and specimen fixation in early congenital and experimental limb deformities.

A method is recommended that facilitates the postmortem assessment of early stages of congenital or experimental paralytic and postural limb deformities, which otherwise are difficult to demonstrate on small specimens. One of the early signs detectable is change in the range of passive movements in the limb, and for its fine and objective assessment it is recommended that limb weight and gravity be used. Any disturbance of the original in vivo shape and position of the extremity during fixation of the postmortem specimen is prevented by suspension and free floating in the fixation fluid.

Changes in dimensions of large cancellous bone specimens during histological preparation as measured on slabs from human femoral heads.

Distortion of the dimensions of large cancellous bone specimens during all stages of histological processing and cutting of paraffin sections in various directions was measured on Xerograms taken from slabs and then sections from human femoral heads. Although some shrinkage in both width and height of the specimens occurred at every stage of the histological preparation, the main shrinkage (about 6%) occurred during the embedding process, and mainly in the cutting of the sections (10-27%, depending on the direction the knife was approaching the specimen). The shrinkage of cancellous bone tissue during histological preparation appears to be a constant factor, but its magnitude during the individual stages of the preparation can be predicted.

A review of the morphology of Perthes' disease.

There are differences of opinion about the pathogenesis of Perthes' disease. All are agreed that it is due to ischaemia, but the cause of this and the size and number of infarctions are in dispute. Through the generosity of the contributors six whole femoral heads and core biopsies of five other cases have been studied radiographically and histologically.

A technique for cutting slices from femoral heads and other awkwardly shaped bones.

For cutting thin, parallel slices from round and other awkwardly shaped bones, we have developed an useful aid by modifying the Microslice II cutting saw primarily designed for geological or metallurgical purposes. To ensure a good grip of the bone, the specimen is embedded in a bolus of wax in a cylindrical container and is advanced along the container by a screw plunger toward the cutting blade of the machine. It is thus possible to cut even from awkwardly shaped bones 2-30 mm thick parallel slices suitable for decalcified or undecalcified histological sections and also for radiodensitometry or quantitative microradiography.

Two phases of the bone mineral as revealed by the high resolution scanning electron microscope on ion-etched bone surfaces and as seen on surfaces untreated and chemically etched.

Recently reported uses of the technique of high resolution scanning microscopy of polished and Argon ion-etched bone surfaces have revealed that, at the ultrastructural level, the bone mineral is spatially arranged in a network of twisted, closely packed segments containing globular and cylindrical components. The ion-etching technique, which preferentially removes organic and less dense material from the bone surface, has been subsequently used by the present authors for detailed screening of a quantity of human cortical and trabecular bone of different age and maturity during which it has been found that apart from this "structured bone' containing twisted segments, the mineral is also organised in another regular form, the "lining bone', which has the appearance of solid, smooth and dense slabs or sheets lining active bone surfaces and bone cell lacunae and canaliculi. In the present study, in order to exclude the possibility that these two newly described phases of the bone mineral microskeleton are results of an etching artifact, their SEM appearance in 14 Argon ion-etched human bone specimens from individuals aged 11 post-natal days to 79 years was compared in various compartments to that seen on surfaces which were untreated, just polished or etched by hot NaOCl.

Epidemic of fractures during period of snow and ice.

During four days of snow and ice in which more than 70% of pavements in the Cardiff area were covered by slippery hard snow and ice the number of patients who attended the accident and emergency department at this hospital with fractured bones increased 2.85 times as compared with those who attended during four control days with comparable hours of sunshine and four control calendar days a year later. Fractures of the arm were increased 3.

The site dependence of the articular cartilage transplant reaction.

Allografts of immature joint cartilage from the knees of lambs were transferred heterotopically into an intramuscular site in animals which had been presensitised by two sets of skin grafts from the same donors. All of these grafts were found to be largely destroyed by the immune response as early as four weeks after transfer. Similar grafts transferred orthotopically into the knees of the recipients, on the other hand, were found to be thriving even after twelve weeks and evoked a minimal response.

Experimental production of local osteomalacia.

The newly deposited bone which was laid down on necrotic bone in the experimentally produced osteochondral chips in the knee joint of 16 sheep and rabbits remained unmineralized and undermineralized in which respect it resembled osteomalatic bone. Local factors which interfere with the mineralisation of a new covering bone should be considered in the pathogenesis of osteomalacia, in healing of aseptic bone necrosis and fractures, and incorporation and fate of bone transplants.

Biological reaction to carbon fiber implants: the formation and structure of a carbon-induced "neotendon".

In 43 young rabbits, the tendo Achilles and flexor digitorum longus tendon were excised and replaced by filamentous carbon fiber. Tendo-Achilles in controls was repaired by silk or nylon sutures or left without replacement. Concurrent excision of the posterior tibial nerve was performed in one group of the carbon-replacing tendo-Achilles operations.

Induction of tendon and ligament formation by carbon implants.

Experiments have been performed on rabbits and sheep which demonstrate that pure carbon, in a flexible and filamentous form of great strength, can be used successfully to induce the formation of new tendons. A concept fundamentally different from that underlying the use of other artificial tendon replacements is involved, in which rapidly developing tendon-like tissue is induced to form around the implant. This gradually takes over the function of the implant.

Staining of muscle tissue for quantitative studies and automated morphometry.

Seventy-six staining tests were carried out of paraffin sections of human and animal muscle to find a suitable staining method for quantitative morphometry of muscle fibers. The results were evaluated under the light microscope, on black and white photomicrographs and on an image analysing computer, the Quantimet 720.A brilliant scarlet-phosphotungstic acid-tartrazine method is described and recommended for automated morphometry after additional testing on 140 sections of developing human muscle using the Quantiment 720.

Phosphotungstic acid-iron-haematoxylin staining method for osteoid, boundary bone and bone components in paraffin sections.

A new staining technique which stains osteoid and bone tissue differentially and also demonstrates boundary bone, pathological osteoid and the changes in ageing, pathological and dead bone matrix in decalcified paraffin or low-viscosity-nitrocellulose bone sections was developed. This phosphotungstic acid-iron-haematoxylin (PTAIH) method is based on pretreating the sections with phosphotungstic acid followed by an iron alum mordant and staining in haematoxylin with subsequent timed differentiation, at certain stages of which the features listed above appear. Van Gieson's picrofuchsin is then used as a counterstain.