Dear Histonetters:
I have been presented with some questions regarding RDO Rapid Decalcifier
that I am not able to answer and was wondering if anyone out there might
have some suggestions.

The questions are:
A) When using RDO to decalcify bone, how do you determine what the chemical
end point means? Slight, moderate or heavy precipitate? Does the presence
of a slight precipitate mean that all of the acid is bound up by calcium
cations or just some of them? Can you leave the speciman in this solution
and let it decal further? Or must this solution be changed at this point?
Does the presence of the propietary black precipitate/buffer skew the
chemical endpoint?

B) When decalcifying any bone that has a cancellous center(marrow) and an
outer layer of hard cortical bone, why is it that the cortical bone always
remains so hard? Yet pin and razor physical tests indicate no hint of
grittyness?
However a surface decal will soften it sufficiently to get a decent
section? That is if you can rough cut it deeply enough without tearing the
block.

If these questions are answerable, could you please forward your responses
to:
Jimmy.Krob@nw.amedd.army.mil or to me at:
rdo@rdo-apex.com

Thank you all in advance. Karen Kohout