Sacral and iliac articular cartilage thickness and cellularity: relationship to subchondral bone end‐plate thickness and cancellous bone density

Objectives. To measure the thickness and cellularity of adult human sacral and iliac articular cartilages and the thickness and density of the subchondral bones. Methods. The right sacroiliac joints of 15 adult patients were examined post‐mortem. HOME (Highly Optimized Microscope Environment) microscopy was used to measure articular cartilage and subchondral bone end‐plate thickness. Conventional morphometric techniques were employed to estimate cartilage cellularity and cancellous bone density. Results. Sacral articular cartilage was thicker than iliac (1.81 vs 0.80 mm, P