Related Experiment Video

Updated: Dec 17, 2025

A Rat Tibial Growth Plate Injury Model to Characterize Repair Mechanisms and Evaluate Growth Plate Regeneration Strategies
06:53

A Rat Tibial Growth Plate Injury Model to Characterize Repair Mechanisms and Evaluate Growth Plate Regeneration Strategies

Published on: July 4, 2017

11.5K

The development of the intercondylar notch in the pediatric population

Fernando M Lima1, Pedro Debieux2, André Y Aihara1

  • 1Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP-EPM), São Paulo, Brazil; Laboratório Delboni Auriemo, DASA, Brazil.

The Knee
|June 22, 2020
PubMed

Insights

Pediatric intercondylar notch width growth stabilizes around ages 10-14, with slight reductions thereafter. Understanding this development is key for successful anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction in children.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric radiology
  • Orthopedic anatomy
  • Biomechanical analysis

Background:

  • Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) repair is increasingly common in pediatric patients.
  • Understanding intercondylar notch development is crucial for ACL graft placement and risk assessment.
  • Normative data on pediatric intercondylar notch anatomy is essential for surgical planning.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To establish normative data for pediatric intercondylar notch dimensions using MRI.
  • To analyze sex-based differences in intercondylar notch development.
  • To correlate intercondylar notch measurements with age in children and adolescents.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective analysis of 253 pediatric MRI examinations (ages 6-18).
  • Musculoskeletal radiologists measured intercondylar notch width, bicondylar distance, and notch width index (NWI).
  • Statistical analysis using linear and fractional polynomial regression models to assess age and sex associations.

Main Results:

  • Intercondylar notch width growth plateaued around age 10-11 years (females) and 11-12 years (males).
  • Notch width stabilized until ages 13-14 years, followed by a slight decrease.
  • Bicondylar distance increased progressively with age; NWI showed a consistent decrease with age in both sexes.

Conclusions:

  • Pediatric intercondylar notch width growth follows a distinct pattern, with stabilization and subsequent slight reduction.
  • These findings provide normative anatomical data relevant to ACL reconstruction in pediatric populations.
  • The observed growth pattern aligns with recent studies on ACL area development.
Abstract

Keywords:
Anterior cruciate ligamentKneeMagnetic resonance imagingMorphometrics

More Related Videos

Culture of Murine Embryonic Metatarsals: A Physiological Model of Endochondral Ossification07:23

Culture of Murine Embryonic Metatarsals: A Physiological Model of Endochondral Ossification

Published on: December 3, 2016

12.3K
Culturing and Measuring Fetal and Newborn Murine Long Bones06:58

Culturing and Measuring Fetal and Newborn Murine Long Bones

Published on: April 26, 2019

8.5K

Related Concept Videos

Changes in the Appendicular Skeleton with Age01:09

Changes in the Appendicular Skeleton with Age

The upper and lower limb initially develops as a small bulge called a limb bud, which appears on the lateral side of the early embryo. The upper limb bud appears near the end of the fourth week of development, with the lower limb bud appearing shortly after.
Initially, the limb buds consist of a core of mesenchyme covered by a layer of ectoderm. The ectoderm at the end of the limb bud thickens to form a narrow crest called the apical ectodermal ridge. This ridge stimulates the underlying...
3.2K
Development of the Limb Synovial Joints01:07

Development of the Limb Synovial Joints

Joints form during embryonic development in conjunction with the formation and growth of the associated bones. The embryonic tissue that gives rise to all bones, cartilage, and connective tissues of the body is called mesenchyme.
The mesenchymal stem cells differentiate into chondrocytes that form the hyaline cartilage, and later the cartilaginous model of the bone. This model further transforms into a bone. This process is known as endochondral ossification.
During development, the limbs...
2.0K
Bone Formation by Endochondral Ossification01:24

Bone Formation by Endochondral Ossification

Bone formation, or ossification, begins around the sixth to seventh week of embryonic development. Most bones develop from a cartilaginous template through the process of endochondral ossification. Cartilage formation begins when clusters of mesenchymal cells differentiate into chondrocytes. These chondrocytes proliferate rapidly and secrete an extracellular matrix that becomes encased in a membrane called the perichondrium. The resulting cartilage model provides a template that resembles the...
7.7K
Bone Formation by Intramembranous Ossification01:29

Bone Formation by Intramembranous Ossification

Intramembranous ossification is one of the two processes involved in the development of bones within an embryo. The flat bones of the face, most of the cranial bones, and the clavicles are formed via this process. During intramembranous ossification, the bones develop directly from sheets of undifferentiated mesenchymal connective tissue.
The process begins when mesenchymal cells in the embryonic skeleton gather together and differentiate into osteogenic cells, which then develop into ...
9.6K
Bones of the Lower Limb: Femur and Patella01:16

Bones of the Lower Limb: Femur and Patella

The femur is the body's longest and strongest bone spanning the thigh region. Its head articulates with the acetabulum of the hip bone to form the hip joint. A minor indentation on the medial side of the femoral head, called the fovea capitis, serves as the site of attachment for the ligament of the head of the femur. This weak ligament spans the femur and acetabulum and supports the hip joint. The narrowed region below the head is the neck of the femur. The inclination angle between the...
4.6K
Growth of Cartilage and Bone Tissue01:27

Growth of Cartilage and Bone Tissue

Chondrocytes form a temporary cartilaginous model by dividing and secreting a thick gel-like extracellular matrix. Once the chondrocytes undergo programmed cell death, osteoblasts enter the site of the cartilaginous model. The process of replacing the temporary cartilaginous model with bone in an ordered manner is called endochondral ossification. In endochondral ossification, not all of the cartilage is replaced by bone tissue. Some cartilage that performs a protective and supportive function...
3.8K