title: Morphometric analysis of the sternum.
abstract: Sternum has a great clinical significance, considering that median sternotomy is the most common surgical approach used in cardiac surgery. The aim of this study is to standardize the sternum according to size, shape and sex and to obtain ranges of the "standard sternum". The study was done on 55 male and 35 female sterna of the average age of 65. Complex morphometric analysis of breadth, length and thickness of the sterna were performed on sternal segments which were defined by costal notches. Morphometric analysis shows that the general sternum structure in the females and in the males is equal. The standard dimensions of female and male sternum were determined. Standardization according to shape suggests that there is one standard sternum shape present in more than 2/3 of analysed samples of both sexes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine, University "J. J. Strossmayer", Osijek, Croatia. selthofer.robert@kbo.hr
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Selthofer
authors.forename: Vasilije
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Nikolić
authors.forename: Tomislav
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Mrcela
authors.forename: Radivoje
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Radić
authors.forename: Igor
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Leksan
authors.forename: Igor
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Rudez
authors.forename: Kristina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Selthofer
mesh_terms: D006348:Cardiac Surgical Procedures; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D013249:Sternum / Q000033:anatomy & histology*