A New Look at Formalin Fixation for Fluorochrome Labeled Bone

Abstract

For approximately 30 yr, laboratories studying dental and bone diseases such as osteoporosis, osteomalacia, or orthopedic implant devices have used fluorochrome labels to measure the mineral apposition rate. Fixation of the bone with 10% neutral buffered formalin has been routinely used by many of these laboratories. Routine custom has been to fix the bone specimens in formalin for no more than 48 hr, wash them in water, and place them in 40–70% ethanol for further fixation and/or storage. This paper reports a study that demonstrates fixation of bones for up to 90 days in 10% neutral buffered formalin caused no evident loss of the fluorochrome labels. (The J Histotechnol 21:299–302, 1998)

Keywords:

• dental implants
• ground sections histomorphometry
• loss of labels
• mineral apposition rate
• orthopedic