Tannic acid and thiocarbohydrazide as structural reinforcement agents in the preparation of rabbit knee articular cartilage for the scanning electronmicroscope

Samples from seven sectors of the rabbit knee articular cartilage were shav ed and prepared for the scanning electron microscope using either tannic ac id, thiocarbohydrazide or nothing (control). Surface morphology was found t o be more typical to a given sector and less so to a specific preparation p rocedure. Rough areas were recorded from load-bearing sectors, while smooth areas appeared on load-free ones. However, fibrillations were discerned on control load-bearing sectors only, and pits and humps were never detected. Tannic acid and thiocarbohydrazide may have exerted their structural reinf orcing effect on the tissue preservation by enhancing the binding of osmium tetroxide to it, possibly along with that of other soluble tissue constitu ents.