Evaluation of the postnatal development of the sternum and sternal variations using multidetector CT
Hanifi Bayaroğulları1, Erhan Yengil, Ramazan Davran
1From the Departments of Radiology (H.B. e-mail: hanbayar67@gmail.com, R.D., E.A.,S.K.) and Family Medicine (E.Y.), Mustafa Kemal University School of Medicine, Antakya, Turkey; the Department of Radiology (A.B.), Dokuz Eylül University School of Medicine, Izmir, Turkey.
Purpose:
We aimed to evaluate the postnatal development and the maturation of the sternum and sternal variations using multidetector computed tomography (MDCT). Additionally, we aimed to examine the roles of gender and age in sternal development.
Materials And Methods:
Two hundred and fifty patients who underwent thorax MDCT examinations were evaluated for sternal development and variations. Coronal curved planar reconstruction and maximum intensity projection images were used to better assess the ossification centers in the manubrium and the body of the sternum. Multiplanar images were used to accurately measure the thickness and the sagittal dimension of the manubrium, the sagittal dimension of the body, and the total sagittal dimension of the sternum in the sagittal plane.
Results:
No significant differences in the manubrium measurements were observed between the genders. The thickness and sagittal dimension of the manubrium, sagittal dimension of the body, and total sagittal dimension of the sternum in the sagittal plane were significantly different between the age groups. We evaluated the ossification centers; shape and developmental variations in the manubrium and body; direction, calcification, and termination of the xiphoid process; developmental variations in the xiphoid process; and manubriosternal and sternoxiphoidal fusion. Significant variations were observed from person to person.
Conclusion:
The anatomy and the developmental properties of the sternum should be well understood in cases of potential chest and sternum injuries and in several surgical procedures. Therefore, knowledge of the development and the maturation of the sternum, and sternal variations and anomalies is important. We suggest that the postnatal development and the morphogenesis of the sternum can be adequately assessed using MDCT.
More Related Videos
02:09Multi-modal Pulmonary Imaging: Using Complementary Information from CT and Hyperpolarized 129Xe MRI to Evaluate Lung Structure-Function
Published on: April 12, 2024
08:02Author Spotlight: Enhanced Quantification of Cardiovascular Calcification Progression for Longitudinal Micro PET/CT Studies in Small Research Animals
Published on: November 15, 2024
Related Concept Videos
01:17The Thoracic Cage: Sternum
The sternum is the elongated bony structure on the anterior side of the thoracic cage. It consists of three parts: the manubrium, the body, and the xiphoid...
01:28Imaging Studies for Cardiovascular System V: CT
01:23Mitral Stenosis II: Clinical features and Diagnostic Tests
01:20Imaging Studies for Cardiovascular System III: X-Ray
Definition and Purpose
An X-ray, or radiograph, is a non-invasive method that uses ionizing radiation to take images of internal structures. It is mainly used in cardiac imaging to examine the heart, lungs, and major blood vessels, aiming to identify abnormalities in the heart's size, shape, and position, such as heart failure, congenital defects, and vascular...
01:30Radiological Investigation I: X-ray and CT
01:10Computed Tomography
The technique was invented in the 1970s and is based on the principle that as X-rays pass through the body, they are absorbed or reflected at different levels. In the technique, a patient lies on a motorized platform while a computerized axial tomography (CAT) scanner rotates...