Decalcification method for nondestructive exposure of human inner ear specimens using ultrasonic EDTA scrubbing

ABSTRACT

Owing to the density of the surrounding bone, preparation for histological preparation of the delicate inner ear is difficult and time-consuming; long preparation time increases the risk of deterioration. We present an EDTA decalcification method using an ultrasonic bath and microscopic removal of tissue along defined anatomical landmarks. Our method is rapid and enables preservation of delicate inner ear structures while minimizing the bony capsule. The reduction in volume made possible by our method creates ideal conditions for further processing with digital imaging techniques, in which the resolution is increased with reduced volume.

KEYWORDS:

• Decalcification
• EDTA
• histology
• human
• inner ear
• temporal bone
• ultrasonic

Acknowledgments

We thank our colleagues from the Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Heidelberg, and Dr. Sara Doll, Brit Isle and Nadine Schindler for their generous assistance with temporal bone preparation.

Disclosure statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.