Morphometric study of the neural ossification centers of the atlas and axis in the human fetus

• DOI: 10.1007/s00276-016-1681-2
• Publication Date: 2016-05-03T03:25:23Z
• Authors: Mariusz Baumgart; Marcin Wiśniewski; Magdalena Grzonko...; Bogdan Małkowski; Mateusz Badura; Michał Szpinda
• Keywords: Ossification center

The knowledge of the developing cervical spine and its individual vertebrae, including their neural processes may be useful in diagnostics congenital vertebral malformations. This study was performed to quantitatively examine ossification centers atlas axis with respect linear, planar volumetric parameters.Using methods CT, digital-image analysis statistics, size 55 spontaneously aborted human fetuses aged 17-30 weeks studied.Without any male-female right-left significant differences, best fit growth dynamics for were, respectively, modelled by following functions: length: y = -13.461 + 6.140 × ln(age) ± 0.570 -15.683 6.882 0.503, width: -4.006 1.930 0.178 -3.054 1.648 0.178, cross-sectional area: -7.362 0.780 age 1.700 -9.930 0.869 1.911, volume: -6.417 0.836 1.924 -11.592 1.087 2.509.The shows neither sexual nor bilateral differences. grow logarithmically both length width linearly area volume. numerical data relating derived from CT are considered specific-age reference values potential relevance ultrasound monitoring early detection spinal abnormalities first two vertebrae fetus.