I understand the problem.  It is an option if you must clear the specimen.
I still prefer the smell of xylene to substitutes.  Pam Marcum

-----Original Message-----
From: Mary Stevens [mailto:mstevens@genetics.com]
Sent: Thursday, May 04, 2000 11:10 AM
To: anette@biomeklab.aau.dk; histonet@pathology.swmed.edu;
pmarcum@polysciences.com
Subject: Re: RE: deplasticising


Use of xylene is another option - except why would you want to smell for
xylene - especially in an epoxy?

>>> "Pam Marcum" <pmarcum@polysciences.com> - 5/4/2000 10:37 AM >>>
Another method is to do everything stated here and briefly submerge in warm
xylene as it will dissolve the PMMA.  It is not the best but may help.  You
must then be very careful to remove the xylene before attempting to embed in
epoxy.  Soak in the first dilution mixture with several changes until no
smell of xylene is apparent in the solution.
-----Original Message-----
From: Mary Stevens [mailto:mstevens@genetics.com]
Sent: Wednesday, May 03, 2000 3:55 PM
To: anette@biomeklab.aau.dk; histonet@pathology.swmed.edu
Subject: Re: deplasticising


Remove as much plastic as possible with a saw or grinder.  Suspend the
specimen in liquid MMA, cover tightly, place it on a rotation plate.   Check
it every couple of days.  It'll depend on the size you have to
deplasticize - but it may take anywhere from 4 days to a month or two.
Change the MMA when it looks like it's getting saturated with melted plastic
(thick and gooey).   I don't know if you can get it all out enough to
re-embed in Epoxy (I've not done this - maybe some one else has.)  You can
use Acetone, instead of MMA monomer.  For the blocks we've deplasticized,
we've used both methods with good luck re-embedding in MMA again (not
epoxy).

Good luck.
BTW - the methods I've used were  reference from conversations with other
great bone people...Katie Combs, Cathy Mayton, and Susan Ryan - Thanks to
them!

Mary



>>> "Anette Milton" <anette@biomeklab.aau.dk> - 5/3/2000 7:44 AM >>>
Does anyone have experience removing PMMA from specimens of bone with
titanium-implants, because I want  to reembed the specimens in epoxy.

Anette


Anette Milton
Ortopaedic Research Laboratory
Aarhus University Hospital
Building 1A
DK-8000 Aarhus C
Denmark