ABSTRACT
This chapter provides a practical selection of useful guidelines and technical procedures relevant to the histologic study of bone, cartilage and associated soft tissues in the orthopaedic research laboratory setting. Many bone labelling agents are available. The commonly used tetracyclines for humans (Achromycin, Declomycin, oxytetracycline) can readily be used for bone labelling in animal models. Bone and cartilage are among the most challenging of tissues for histologic examination. Access to the appropriate tools and equipment is a critical aspect of successful orthopaedic histology. Fixation time is a critical issue for bone and cartilage as it is for histological procedures with other tissues. Qualitative evaluation of histologic changes in bone and cartilage is the first level of evaluation of specimens from an orthopaedic experimental study. In Situ hybridization is a powerful technical procedure to localize either DNA or RNA nucleic acid sequences within cells, and gives the investigator the tool with which to visualize gene expression at the cell level.
