Biomedical subjects

W H Mawhinney

Publications and source records attributed to W H Mawhinney.

8 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2000

A technique for the evaluation of failed fallopian tube ligation with metal clips.

The evaluation of fallopian tubes after failed tubal ligation can be difficult because conventional histopathological techniques are unable to section the metal clips when in situ. Once the clips have been removed, any evidence of tube patency is lost. This report describes a technique of embedding and sectioning that enables sections to be made while the metal clips are still in situ. This is a modification of a method first described to embed mineralised bone and involves the use of plastic embedding and a diamond saw. Using this technique, a permanent record is made of the tube location and patency.

Adult↗

PubMed1990

Technique for identifying cutting artefacts in sections of undecalcified bone biopsy specimens.

Areas of fragmentation found in trabecular and cortical bone of iliac crest biopsy specimens have been described as bone quality defects and were thought to be the major factor responsible for femoral neck fractures. These appearances have also been regarded as cutting artefacts and to resolve this difference of opinion consecutive sections cut at right angles to each other in biopsy specimens from 15 patients with femoral neck fractures were compared. Sections were assessed by four independent observers; agreement by at least three was required before an area was accepted as a bone quality defect. In all, 270 were identified. Of the 161 found in sections cut parallel to the cortices, there were only 20 (12%) in coincident areas in consecutive sections. This study shows conclusively that areas of fragmentation previously described as bone quality defects are not artefacts which may be created or excluded depending on the plane of section.

Aged↗

PubMed1988

Demonstration of aluminium in iliac bone: correlation between aluminon and solochrome azurine staining techniques with data on flameless absorption spectrophotometry.

The presence of excess aluminium was investigated in 204 samples of iliac bone from 197 patients with chronic renal failure by using the aluminon and solochrome azurine staining techniques. The results were compared with values obtained by atomic absorption spectrophotometry (AAS). Overall, the staining reactions correlated with the AAS data, but the solochrome azurine stain was positive more often than was the aluminon stain (in 90.6% and 62.3%, respectively, of bone samples with greater than the control group mean +3SD (that is, in the range 17.8 to 113.4 micrograms aluminium/g Solochrome azurine staining was consistently positive in all cases, with greater than 23.1 micrograms aluminium/g bone but the corresponding aluminon stain was occasionally inexplicably negative in this range. In some samples solochrome azurine was positive in parts of old unresorbed cement lines when the aluminon stain was negative and the bone aluminium concentration was within the normal range or slightly increased. The stains, particularly solochrome azurine, have the advantage over AAS in that they indicate the location as well as the presence of excess bone aluminium.

Aluminum↗

PubMed1986