Simultaneous histological preparation of bone, soft tissue and implanted biomaterials for light microscopic observations.

Block specimens of formalin fixed bone, soft tissue and endosseous implanted biomaterials can be successfully embedded in polymethyl methacrylate by employing vacuum desiccation during the dehydration steps and refrigeration during the infiltration step. One-hundred-micrometer histological sections can be obtained from the cured polymethyl methacrylate blocks by cutting with a low concentration diamond wafering blade on a Buehler Isomet Circular Low Speed Saw using Buehler Isocut fluid. The sections can be readily stained and details of individual cells studied by light microscopy, thus allowing interpretation of the relationship between biomaterial and surrounding tissues. The advantage of this method is that it allows observations of the entire specimen in situ. The details of the procedure are presented.