title: Quantitative geometric analysis of rib, costal cartilage and sternum from childhood to teenagehood.
abstract: Better understanding of the effects of growth on children's bones and cartilage is necessary for clinical and biomechanical purposes. The aim of this study is to define the 3D geometry of children's rib cages: including sternum, ribs and costal cartilage. Three-dimensional reconstructions of 960 ribs, 518 costal cartilages and 113 sternebrae were performed on thoracic CT scans of 48 children, aged 4 months to 15 years. The geometry of the sternum was detailed and nine parameters were used to describe the ribs and rib cages. A "costal index" was defined as the ratio between cartilage length and whole rib length to evaluate the cartilage ratio for each rib level. For all children, the costal index decreased from rib level 1 to 3 and increased from level 3 to 7. For all levels, the cartilage accounted for 45-60 % of the rib length, and was longer for the first years of life. The mean costal index decreased by 21 % for subjects over 3-year old compared to those under three (p < 10(-4)). The volume of the sternebrae was found to be highly age dependent. Such data could be useful to define the standard geometry of the pediatric thorax and help to detect clinical abnormalities.
authors.affiliation: Arts et Metiers ParisTech, LBM, 151 bd de l'Hopital, 75013 Paris, France. baptiste.sandoz@ensam.eu
authors.forename: Baptiste
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Sandoz
authors.forename: Alina
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Badina
authors.forename: Sébastien
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Laporte
authors.forename: Karene
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Lambot
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Mitton
authors.forename: Wafa
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Skalli
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002356:Cartilage / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000254:growth & development*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional / Q000379:methods*; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D013902:Radiography, Thoracic; D012272:Ribs / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000254:growth & development*; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D013249:Sternum / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000254:growth & development*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
references.citation: J Anat. 1956 Jan;90(1):87-105
references.pmid: 13295154
references.citation: J Biomech. 2010 May 7;43(7):1269-78
references.pmid: 20226466
references.citation: J Clin Pathol. 1967 Jul;20(4):589-90
references.pmid: 4301497
references.citation: Radiology. 2002 Jul;224(1):120-3
references.pmid: 12091670
references.citation: J Pediatr Surg. 2006 Feb;41(2):362-7
references.pmid: 16481252
references.citation: J Biomech. 1992 Feb;25(2):145-8
references.pmid: 1733990
references.citation: Med Biol Eng Comput. 2010 Aug;48(8):821-8
references.pmid: 20414812
references.citation: Eur Spine J. 2001 Apr;10(2):101-7
references.pmid: 11345629
references.citation: J Biomech. 2011 Mar 15;44(5):910-6
references.pmid: 21168845
references.citation: J Biomech. 1969 Jul;2(3):267-80
references.pmid: 16335089
references.citation: Skeletal Radiol. 1979;4(4):189-95
references.pmid: 531583
references.citation: Traffic Inj Prev. 2005 Dec;6(4):361-71
references.pmid: 16266945
references.citation: Resuscitation. 2009 May;80(5):540-5
references.pmid: 19342150
references.citation: J Biomech. 2008;41(3):706-10
references.pmid: 17981286
references.citation: J Pediatr Surg. 1987 Oct;22(10):904-6
references.pmid: 3681619
references.citation: Int J Comput Assist Radiol Surg. 2010 Mar;5(2):111-24
references.pmid: 20033504
references.citation: J Pediatr Orthop. 1998 May-Jun;18(3):398-405
references.pmid: 9600571
references.citation: Chest. 1989 Apr;95(4):850-6
references.pmid: 2924614
references.citation: Stapp Car Crash J. 2009 Nov;53:127-54
references.pmid: 20058553
references.citation: Comput Methods Biomech Biomed Engin. 2010 Dec;13(6):649-54
references.pmid: 21153970
references.citation: Pediatr Radiol. 2004 Apr;34(4):326-30
references.pmid: 14740200
references.citation: J Biomech. 1988;21(11):893-901
references.pmid: 3075610
references.citation: J Orthop Res. 1989;7(4):599-606
references.pmid: 2738774