A Simple Histological Method for Identification of Osteoid Matrix in Decalcified Bone

Abstract

The present experiment indicated that cyanuric chloride fixation was very useful in identifying osteoid matrix, which is difficult to distinguish from mineralized matrix in sections decalcified in the routine fashion. Small slices of bone from 3 mm to 5 mm thick were fixed with 0.5% cyanuric chloride in methanol containing 1% N-methyl morpholine for from 1 to 2 days at room temperature. EDTA decalcified sections were prepared and stained with hematoxylin and eosin. The regions presumed to be osteoid matrix were intensely eosinophilic. It was shown that the eosinophilic regions correspond precisely to the unmineralized osteoid matrix which was radiolucent by microradiography and devoid of silver by the von Kossa method in undecalcified serial sections.