title: Normative growth data for the external diameters of the external and internal iliac arteries in human fetuses--an anatomical, digital and statistical study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Normative data on the diameters of the aorto-iliac segment are extremely useful in the diagnosis and monitoring of prenatal arterial variants and pathologies.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The present study describes age-specific reference intervals and normal growth curves for the external diameters of the external and internal iliac arteries.
  
  
  METHODS
  Using anatomical dissection and digital-image analysis, the normal growth of the external diameters of the external and internal iliac arteries was studied in 124 spontaneously aborted human fetuses, aged 15-34 weeks.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Neither sex differences nor laterality differences were found. The external diameters of the external iliac arteries increased from 0.31 +/- 0.06 to 1.41 +/- 0.31 mm on the right, and from 0.29 +/- 0.04 to 1.37 +/- 0.24 mm on the left, and generated the following growth curves of best fit: y = 0.665 - 0.056 x Age + 0.002 x Age2 +/- 0.143 (R2 = 0.82) and y = 0.612 - 0.052 x Age + 0.002 x Age2 +/- 0.118 (R2 = 0.86), respectively. The external diameters of the internal iliac arteries were found to be statistically larger than those of the external iliac arteries (p = 0.0000). The external diameters of the internal iliac arteries ranged from 0.44 +/- 0.07 to 2.04 +/- 0.43 mm on the right, and from 0.44 +/- 0.06 to 1.83 +/- 0.43 mm on the left, and modeled the following quadratic functions: y = 1.524 - 0.127 x Age + 0.004 x Age2 +/- 0.242 (R2 = 0.74), and y = 1.391 - 0.117 x Age + 0.004 x Age2 +/- 0.220 (R2 = 0.76), respectively. The right external iliac arteries (in 71% of the cases) and the right internal iliac arteries (in 65.3% of cases) were larger in external diameter.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The values of the external diameters of the external and internal iliac arteries are independent of sex. A strong trend towards higher values for the right external and internal iliac arteries is noted. The external diameter of the internal iliac artery is nearly 1.5 times greater than that of the external iliac artery. Surprisingly, normal growth of the external diameters of the external and internal iliac arteries follows quadratic functions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, Ludwik Rydygier Collegium Medicum in Bydgoszcz, Nicolaus Copernicus University, Bydgoszcz, Poland. kizanat@cm.umk.pl
authors.forename: Michał
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Szpinda
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Szpinda
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000886:Anthropometry; D001012:Aorta, Abdominal / Q000254:growth & development; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007083:Iliac Artery / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000196:embryology / Q000254:growth & development*; D008297:Male; D009024:Morphogenesis; D012016:Reference Values; D012044:Regression Analysis; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012737:Sex Factors