Bone sections should be embedded parallel to the long axis of the block.

• A. True
• B. False
• C. Perpendicular to the long axis
• D. At a 45-degree angle

Answer: (B)

The important idea is how bone is oriented for sectioning to best reveal its microscopic structure. In cortical bone, the osteons (Haversian systems) are arranged around a central canal that runs along the bone’s length. Cutting perpendicular to the long axis exposes these osteons in cross-section, showing the circular lamellae around the canal clearly. If the block were embedded so that the section is parallel to the long axis, you’d obtain longitudinal slices where those features are elongated and harder to interpret for standard bone architecture. So the preferred orientation is to section perpendicular to the long axis, not parallel to it. The 45-degree angle option isn’t the standard approach for routine bone review.