Trabecular bone structural variation in biopsy sites of the beagle ilium

Iliac trabecular bone sites were studied in 2 male and 2 female adult beagles to determine normal structural variability among different sites, and to identify transilial biopsy sites with minimum structural variation. Only sites that provided adequate amounts of trabecular bone were studied. Trabecular bone area and perimeter were measured on microradiographs of ground sagittal sections using a Quantimet 720 image analyzer, and percent bone, perimeter to area ratio, and mean trabecular width were calculated. Over 100% variation was found in the parameters studies among sections from different sites within the same animal. However, variability was minimal among sections obtained more than 2 mm from the lateral or medial cortex within the most caudal sites evaluated. Two sites appropriate for sampling with an 8 mm trephine were identified as being centered over the following points: (a) a point 7 mm caudal to the cranial dorsal spine and 7 mm ventral to the tuber sacrale, and (b) a point 7 mm caudal to the cranial ventral spine and 7 mm dorsal to the tuber coxae. Comparison of data obtained from males and females indicated that sampling variation may also be reduced by using dogs of one sex and by preferential use of males.