bone implant

From:Rebecca S Smith <bssvpisu@iastate.edu>

I've got a couple of questions for you "Hard Tissue" folks.

A researcher has asked me to paraffin embed a decalcified bone with a 
Tantalum implant.  His words, "It's just a sponge!  It cut on the band saw 
pretty well!"   HAH!  HAH!  HAH!  I told him that I had news for him.  This 
is NOT going to cut on a paraffin embedded block.  Well, he wants to know 
how to do it.  I suggested he look into several different things.  Well, he 
comes back and wants ME to do the looking.  Anyway,  Is this something that 
is even cutable (ie with titanium blade or something) ?  He said maybe he 
needs a diamond blade.  Now, I may be wrong, but this specimen is from a 
dog and is about 1.5 inches X 1.5 inches.  I didn't think that a diamond 
blade would work.  Someone told him it would.  If a titanium blade is a 
possibility, where do you purchase these and how much are they 
approximately.  Maybe the price tag will scare him off.  Then there's 
always grinding the specimen after plastic embedding.  Is this something 
that might be a possibility with this type of implant?
	This should be a start and then I'm sure I'll have more questions.  Thanks!




<< Previous Message | Next Message >>