Bone Sectioning Using the Precise 1 Automated Cutting System

Abstract

The possibility of producing thin microscopic slides containing bone, soft tissues, bio-materials and implants in a predictable manner was of great interest to the authors of this chapter. Several techniques that produce very high-quality microscopic specimens and permit evaluation of the bone-biomaterial interfaces have been reported.^1,2,6 In all these techniques, the specimens are cut using a band saw or a metallurgical saw, and are then ground down in different ways to obtain the desired thickness.^3–5,7–9 However, most of these systems had high initial costs and high maintenance costs. In our laboratory, we have developed a low-cost cutting system, using a diamond disc instead of a band diamond saw, capable of giving consistent and predictable results.