Digital image analysis of vertebral body L4 and its ossification centre in the human foetus

Using a Siemens-Biograph 128 mCT camera, morphometric analysis of the L4 vertebral body and its ossification centre was done in 55 human foetuses aged 17 to 30 weeks. No sex differences were found. The mean height, and transverse and sagittal diameters of L4 vertebral body followed the logarithmic functions: y = -11.797+ 5.208 × ln(age) ± 0.372, y = -23.462 + 9.428 × ln(age) ± 0.702, and y = 2.770 + 13.521 × ln(age) ± 1.722, respectively. The mean cross-sectional area of the L4 vertebral body followed the linear function: y = -30.683 + 1.976 × age ± 2.701. The mean volume of the L4 vertebral body followed the second-degree polynomial function: y = -93.983+ 0.385 × (age)² ± 23.707. The mean transverse and sagittal diameters of the ossification centre of the L4 vertebral body followed the natural logarithmic functions: y = -27.106 + 10.178 × ln(age) ± 0.769 and y = -13.345 + 5.458 × ln(age) ± 0.424, respectively. The mean cross-sectional area and the volume of the ossification centre of L4 vertebral body followed the linear functions: y = -30.683 + 1.976 × age ± 2.701 and y = -43.214 + 2.760 × age ± 4.085, respectively.