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Differentiation and classification of thoracolumbar transitional vertebrae
Anneli M Du Plessis1,2, Linda M Greyling1, Benedict J Page1
1Division of Anatomy, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Stellenbosch, Cape Town, South Africa.
Journal of Anatomy
|January 25, 2018
Summary
This study identifies characteristics of thoracolumbar transitional vertebrae (TLTV), finding they possess overlapping thoracic and lumbar features. Researchers can now differentiate these unique vertebrae from typical ones.
Area of Science:
- Anatomy
- Anthropology
- Radiology
Background:
- Transitional vertebrae exhibit features from two adjacent spinal regions.
- Literature lacks data on thoracolumbar transitional vertebrae (TLTV) prevalence and morphology.
Purpose of the Study:
- Identify qualitative characteristics of TLTV.
- Develop a method to differentiate TLTV subtypes.
Main Methods:
- Qualitative analysis of vertebral columns from 35 skeletal remains.
- Identification of vertebrae with atypical features.
- Assessment of overlapping thoracic and lumbar characteristics.
Main Results:
- Common features include aplasia/hypoplasia of transverse processes, irregular superior articular process orientation, and atypical mammillary bodies.
- Most frequent TLTV location was the thoracic region (23/35).
- Lumbar region was the second most frequent (10/35), with 2 specimens showing an additional 13th thoracic vertebra.
Conclusions:
- Qualitative identification of TLTV at the thoracolumbar junction is feasible.
- TLTV subtypes can be differentiated by location and adjacent segment counts.
- This provides a tool to distinguish TLTV from typical thoracic or lumbar vertebrae.
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