A New Goldner's One-Step Trichrome Stain for Identification of Osteoid Seams, Bone and Cells in Undecalcified, Plastic Embedded Sections of Bone

Abstract

A new modified Goldner's one-step trichrome stain for differential staining of osteoid seams, bone and marrow cells in undecalcified, plastic embedded sections of bone is described. Bone specimens are fixed in 70% ethanol, dehydrated through graded alcohols to acetone, infiltrated and embedded in polymethyl methacrylate, and sectioned with Jung K heavy duty microtome at 5 micrometers. The sections are deplasticized in a prewarmed xylene at 40°C oven for 24 hours, hydrated to distilled water, stained with Weigert's hematoxylin, differentiated, blued and washed under gently running tap water, placed in the Goldner's one-step trichrome solution, counterstained with alcoholic saffron, dehydrated, cleared and mounted. Osteoid seams appear as bright red, whereas bone matrix is chartreuse to green. Nuclei of bone and marrow cells stain blue-black. Their cytoplasms are light gray or pink. The method is especially suitable for studies of mineralized bone with particular reference to histomorphometry and metabolic bone disease pathology. (The J Histotechnol 11:249, 1988)

Keywords:

• Goldner's one-step trichrome
• morphometry
• osteoid seams
• undecalcified bone stain