MEASURING EXTENT

OF DECALCIFICATION
SUNETH KAYE
D. JAVELLANA
Al- Faiz Mai
MEASURING EXTENT OF DECALCIFICATION

• Frequent monitoring is required to insure, that bone tissue is

taken from acid solution as soon as all calcium is removed from
the specimen, and before the tissue becomes completely
macerated.
• Tissues decalcified for long time periods or in high acid
concentration are more likely to show the effects of over
decalcification whether or not all the calcium content has been
removed.
• Physical or Mechanical Test

• Xray or Radiological Method

• Chemical Method
 Physical or Mechanical Test
• This is done by touching or bending the tissue with the fingers to determine the
consistency of tissues. Decalcified tissues usually have diminished consistency and are
softer to touch. This is, however, a very vague and inaccurate way of determining if a
tissue has been completely decalcified or not.

• An alternate method of evaluating tissues mechanically is by pricking the tissue with a

fine needle. This method is apt to produce needle tract artifacts and destroy important
cellular details. Pricking, slicing, bending or squeezing tissue can disrupt soft tumor
from the bone or cause false positive microfractures of fine trabeculae, leading to a
potential misdiagnosis aside from this disadvantage, small calcified foci may not even be
detected.
 Xray or Radiological Method
• This is a very expensive although the most ideal most sensitive and most reliable
method of determining extent of decalcification due to its ability to detect even the
smallest focus of calcium which appears opaque in an Xray plate.

• The method is similar to specimen radiography, using a FAXITRON and Kodak X-

OMAT X-ray film on the bottom shelf. After rinsing the acid decalcify agent from
the sample; decalcified bone is place on waterproof polyethylene sheet on top of the
X-ray film, exposed until film is developed and examined for calcifications.
 Chemical method
• This is simple, reliable and convenient method recommended for routine purposes. To detect the
presence of calcium in the decalcifying solution.

• This method involves the detection of calcium in acid solutions by precipitation of insoluble calcium
hydroxide or calcium oxalate.
• A simple chemical test can be applied when some acid decalcify ears are used particularly formic acid. the
decalcifying fluid is usually changed every 24 to 48 hours and the chemical test is performed on the discarded
fluid a piece of blue litmus paper is added to the test tube containing 5 ml of the discarded decalcifying agent
the litmus paper will turn red to the acidity of the fluid strong ammonia is then added drop by drop until the
fluid is neutralized this can be detected by the change in color of the litmus paper from red to blue indicating
alkalinity the presence of cloudiness indicates that there still calcium found in the solution.
Recap:
• Physical method or Mechanical method: Inaccurate,
damages tissue.
• X- ray or Radiologic method: Most sensitive and reliable.
Can detect even smallest focus of calcium.
If calcium is still present, it will appear OPAQUE.
• Chemical method: Routine, most commonly used. Involves
using of Ammonium Oxalate.
Turbidity indicates incomplete decalcification.
 -END-
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