For paraffin sections that fit on 4 X 5, 2 x 3, etc slides, there is a
method that guarantees every large paraffin section.  Sterchi Tape Transfer
method, published in Journal of Histotechnology, 1990 Sterchi DL and J
Eurell.   Diane used it to pick up large decalcified bone sections which
are notorious for curling, etc. I used it for problem blocks that were not
sectioning and gigantic eye sections (tend to come apart on waterbath at
times).  It is something you can setup in your lab without any expensive
instrumentation, simple, cheap and reliable. I cut poorly fixed,
decalcified, paraffin processed osteoporotic human femoral head bone slabs
with great success.  This bone had severe osteoporosis, resulting in such
reduced bone mass, it was hard to keep things together, not to mentioned
poor fixation it received before I got it (in a urine cup with NBF, more
than a month after removal, an autolyzed, partially fixed whole femoral
head). The tape transfer held this delicate mass of mush together so
pathologist could read the slide.  Without tape transfer, diagnosis would
have been a more severe OP as seen on an adjacent nontransferred "free"
section.  It is amazing the difference between transferred vs "free"
section.  

Certain kinds of packaging tape are available for this method (these are in
the publication, which ones work best and can be removed the easiest for
staining).

 

  


Gayle Callis
MT,HT,HTL(ASCP)
Histopathology Supervisor
Veterinary Molecular Biology
Montana State University - Bozeman
Bozeman MT 59717-3610

406 994-6367
406 994-4303 (FAX)