osteiod staining

From:Gayle Callis

For decalcified bone, an H&E will stain osteoid particularly if the
decalcification has been controlled to not overexpose bone to acid using
endpoint testing.  This permits good hematoxylin staining combined with
phloxine/eosin counterstain (don't overstain the bone with this!).
Trichromes also work, Movats pentachrome, Masson trichrome. 

For plastic embedded bone, a MacNeals tetrachrome (use inhouse
preparations, commercial ones tend to be lousy for bone),  Toluidine blue
in pH 8 phosphate buffer (or a combination of these two stains is brilliant
for osteoid), 
Sandersons rapid bone stain, will work and/or Stevenels blue, a potassium
permangante oxidized methylene blue.  Buy the rapid bone stain and save
yourself grief, making Stevenels is a huge, messy pain in the lab.    

Part of seeing osteoid is being able to identify where it is located in the
bone, the microanatomy/micromorphology.  
Gayle Callis
MT,HT,HTL(ASCP)
Histopathology Supervisor
Veterinary Molecular Biology
Montana State University - Bozeman
Bozeman MT 59717-36

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