I personally slant everything when embedding.  You can always "straighten" the tissue when picking up the section on the waterbath!  This method of embedding is also wonderful for bone, uterus/cervix, large pieces of tissue.  I position frozen section blocks the same way in the cryostat...gradual trimming of the surface area.

Debra Flynn
Pensacola Pathologists
Pensacola, FL  
> 
> From: Jackie.O'Connor@abbott.com
> Date: 2002/09/19 Thu PM 03:06:17 EDT
> To: Nita Searcy 
> CC: histonet@pathology.swmed.edu
> Subject: Re: Embedding
> 
> 
> Nita -
> I worked in a derm lab (for Surgipath years ago) and found the best way to
> embed skin was just as you described - so you don't hit one hard piece of
> epithelium and chip out your whole "straight' line.  I've trained histotechs
> to embed this way as well, with all tissues, not just skin.  The denser or
> harder area of the tissue always is the last to pass the knife edge so you
> section the softer areas first, avoiding dragging cutting artifact from hard
> tissue and tearing through the soft.  Does that make sense to you guys?
> 
> Jackie O'Connor
> Global Pharmaceutical Research and Development
> Abbott Laboratories
> Drug Discovery -Chemotheraputics
> Abbott Park, IL  60064
> Jackie.O'Connor@abbott.com
> 
> 
>                                                                                                                
>                     Nita Searcy                                                                                
>                                          il.sw.org>           cc:                                                                   
>                                          Subject:     Embedding                                                
>                     09/19/2002                                                                                 
>                     01:26 PM                                                                                   
>                                                                                                                
>                                                                                                                
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I have a question regarding "proper embedding"---I have been practicing for 35
> yrs., am at new position and funny thing, I do things incorrectly---
> 
> 
> Anyway, correct embedding--epithelium from skin - "all going same way" but I
> embed on a slant not  in a straight row. The knife blade hits one piece at a
> time not the entire
> "straight " line.
> 
> Glenda Hoye and the instructors- do you have a reference?
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
>