Knife chatter during thin sectioning of rat incisor enamel can cause periodicities resembling cross-striations.

Cross-striations are traditionally associated with the enamel rods in many species including man. Although these striations are obvious with light microscopy, their exact nature has been difficult to determine with the transmission electron microscope on thin sections of enamel. Thin section microscopy either reveals no structures that can be called cross-striations, or shows periodic light and dark bands across the rods. Superficially, these bands resemble chatter artifact. To test this possibility, rat incisor enamel was used because cross-striations have not been demonstrated on these enamel rods. Thin sections were prepared of enamel blocks oriented in various ways with respect to the cutting edge of the diamond knife. The sections showed either uniform enamel or light and dark bands over rod profiles or interrod enamel. Since these bands could be produced artifactually it is concluded that similar bands seen on enamel rods of other species may also be artifacts.