Comparison of surface density and volume of human iliac trabecular bone measured directly and by applied stereology

Twenty iliac crest cadaver specimens were obtained from 7 females and 13 males, ages 57-85 years, to empirically test the mathematically derived conversions of linear perimeter to three-dimensional area-volume ratios and to test the Delesse principle for volume. The scaling factor for linear perimeters was measured by coating the specimens with fast green stain. A weight per area coating constant was calculated and directly applied to the weight of coating on bone. External volume was measured by calipers and trabecular volume was measured by displacement. All data were repeated on the same specimens and correlated with standard histomorphometric technique. Our direct and histomorphometric measurements of volume on the same specimens showed almost identical means and were highly correlated (r=0.992, P