Rapid decalcification of temporal bones with preservation of ultrastructure

Decalcification of temporal bones, especially from primates, has routinely required long periods of time and has been a major deterrent to many types of morphological studies. In this investigation, temporal bones from the monkey, Macaca fuscata, were decalcified with ethylene diamine tetraacetic acid (EDTA) in a microwave oven. To isolate effects of microwaves on decalcification, tissue was fixed and embedded using routine methods; only decalcification was carried out in the microwave oven. The procedure is described in detail. Instead of months, decalcification was complete in two working days. Control procedures included decalcification at room temperature and use of a regular oven at a temperature equal to that reached in the microwave. The ultrastructure of cochlear tissue was equal to or better than that obtained with routine decalcification.