What is recommended to prevent cross-hatching marks caused by a dry sponge during grossing?

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Multiple Choice

What is recommended to prevent cross-hatching marks caused by a dry sponge during grossing?

Cross-hatching marks appear when a sponge drags across the tissue surface during grossing. Soaking the sponge in fixative coats the sponge fibers with fixative, which reduces friction and allows the sponge to glide over tissue rather than scrape it. The fixative also starts to fix the surface, helping to preserve texture as you trim. This makes presoak in fixative the best practice. Rinsing with distilled water doesn’t provide the same lubricating and fixing effect, a dry sponge increases the risk of marks, and a metal sponge isn’t a standard, reliable preventive method.

Cross-hatching marks appear when a sponge drags across the tissue surface during grossing. Soaking the sponge in fixative coats the sponge fibers with fixative, which reduces friction and allows the sponge to glide over tissue rather than scrape it. The fixative also starts to fix the surface, helping to preserve texture as you trim. This makes presoak in fixative the best practice. Rinsing with distilled water doesn’t provide the same lubricating and fixing effect, a dry sponge increases the risk of marks, and a metal sponge isn’t a standard, reliable preventive method.

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