Sacroiliac Joint of the Horse 3. Histological appearance

To establish a baseline for the histological appearance of the sacroiliac joint of the horse, joint specimens were collected from 41 horses from late fetal life to the age of 14 years. Sagittal sections from the joints were radiographed and sectioned for histological examination. There was a striking difference in structure between the sacral and iliac articular cartilages, the former being hyaline and the latter predominantly fibrous. Degenerative changes were seen even in young horses and were more markec on the iliac side. The degeneration of the articular cartilage showed a progressive, age‐related pattern.