Morphological evaluation of the coccyx with multidetector computed tomography.

Area of Science:

• Anatomy
• Radiology
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• The coccyx, or tailbone, is the final segment of the vertebral column.
• Understanding coccygeal morphology is crucial for diagnosing various pelvic conditions.
• Existing classifications may not fully encompass all observed variations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate coccyx morphology in adults using multidetector computed tomography (MDCT).
• To contribute to coccyx classification by analyzing intercoccygeal and sacrococcygeal angles.
• To identify and classify previously undocumented coccygeal variations.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of pelvic CT scans from 224 adult patients.
• Utilized multiplanar reconstruction and 3D volume rendering for coccyx visualization.
• Evaluated coccyx morphology, segmentation, scoliosis, fusion, and measured angles.

Main Results:

• Identified coccyx types: 60.7% type 1, 29% type 2, 7.6% type 3.
• Discovered five patients (2.2%) with a zero-degree intercoccygeal angle (proposed type 0).
• Most common segmentation was four segments (69.2%); variations in segmentation and fusion were noted.

Conclusions:

• Proposed a new
• type 0
• classification for coccyx with a zero-degree intercoccygeal angle.
• Established detailed coccygeal measurements and morphological classifications.
• Findings provide valuable data for radiologists and future research in coccyx anatomy and pathology.