Glycol methacrylate embedding of bone and cartilage for light microscopic staining

A method is described for embedding bone and cartilage in glycol methacrylate (GMA) for light microscopy. Dehydration-infiltration of the hard tissue is with aqueous GMA solutions minimizing solvent and dehydration artefact, and polymerization is by UV light in the cold to minimize thermal damage. Over fifty stains, enzyme localizations and related histochemical methods for 0.5-3.0 micrometer thick sections of GMA embedded tissue are listed. The increased resolution plus the localization of cellular and extracellular chemical moieties is now easier and more accurate providing an improved method for the study of the musculo-skeletal system by light microscopy histochemistry.