We developed staining techniques that permit identification and histom
orphometric analysis of microcracks in the human femoral head 1) from
thick, ground bone sections (100 mu m) by prestaining with the Villanu
eva mineralized bone stain (MIBS), and 2) from plastic embedded, undec
alcified thin bone sections (5-15 mu m) by staining in gallocyanin chr
ome alum-Villanueva blood stain methods. Both methods represent a sign
ificant improvement in the stainability of the microcracks, cellular a
nd tissue elements, and the simultaneous assessment of osteoid seams a
nd tetracycline markers by histomorphometry. Shrinkage and other artif
acts were minimized, which helped to clarify some of the uncertainties
arising from artifacts resulting from some bone staining methods. His
tomorphometric analyses of microcracks were conducted on thick, ground
sections of subchondral and trabecular bone. Microcracks were more pr
evalent in the subchondral bone and osteochondral junction than in the
more distant trabeculae. We have consistently localized microcrack ar
eas in bone tissues prepared in these ways.