title: Digital-image analysis of the femoral shaft/neck angle in human foetuses.
abstract: Measurements were made of the femoral shaft/neck angle (CCD angle) in 106 human foetuses, aged from 16 to 38 hbd, using a "FEM-GEO_03" computer program. The values of the CCD angle in the group under examination were: mean = 140.48 degrees, SD = 6.95 degrees, max = 157.90 degrees, min = 113.93 degrees. No significant differences were found in CCD angle size between male and female foetuses or between left and right bones. Dispersion analysis showed a decrease in the CCD angle during foetal development, which suggests that adaptation to a vertical position and bipedal gait starts during pregnancy and is manifest as an inborn feature.
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Anatomy, Silesian Medical University, Katowice, Poland. abulandra@slam.katowice.pl
authors.forename: Andrzej M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Bulandra
authors.forename: Jerzy S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Gielecki
authors.forename: Iwona
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Leciejewska
authors.forename: Piotr
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Karaszewski
authors.forename: Dominik
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Sieroń
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D005270:Femur Head / Q000196:embryology*; D005272:Femur Neck / Q000196:embryology*; D005865:Gestational Age; D006621:Hip Joint / Q000196:embryology*; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D038081:Organogenesis; D017678:Sex Distribution