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Published on: March 19, 2017
Morphologic evaluation of the coccyx in the pediatric population
Nevzat Meylani1, Barış Ten2, Gülhan Temel3
1Department of Radiology, Nevşehir State Hospital, Nevşehir, Turkey.
Insights
The coccyx in children develops through three distinct stages from infancy to adulthood, with ossification and growth correlating with age. This study details coccyx morphology changes, aiding in diagnosing coccydynia.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Radiology
- Anatomy
- Developmental Biology
Background:
- The coccyx, or tailbone, undergoes significant morphological changes during childhood.
- Understanding these changes is crucial for diagnosing coccyx-related conditions in pediatric patients.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze the developmental alterations in coccyx morphology, including ossification, dimensions, and angulation, in children across different age groups.
- To establish age-related reference data for coccyx development.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of pelvic radiologic scans from 180 children aged 1-18 years.
- Measurement of coccyx linear length (LL), curvilinear length (CLL), sacrococcygeal angle (SCA), and intercoccygeal angle (ICA).
Main Results:
- Coccyx development was categorized into three postnatal phases: infancy (cartilaginous), childhood (ossification progression), and postpubescence (adult size).
- Linear regression models demonstrated a significant positive correlation between age and both LL (R²=0.561) and CLL (R²=0.559).
- Ossification begins around age 3, completes by age 11, and reaches adult dimensions post-puberty.
Conclusions:
- Coccyx morphology, particularly the intercoccygeal angle (ICA), shows age-dependent changes.
- The established dataset provides valuable normative data that can assist in identifying pediatric cases of coccydynia.
Purpose:
This computed tomography study aimed to display the alteration in the coccyx morphology (its ossification process, dimension and angulation) in children with advancing age.
Methods:
Pelvic radiologic scans of 180 children aged 1-18 years were retrospectively evaluated to observe changes in the coccyx morphology with age, and to measure the linear length (LL), curvilinear length (CLL), sacrococcygeal angle (SCA), and intercoccygeal angle (ICA).
Results:
The present study divides the postnatal evolution of the coccyx into three phases as follows: (a) in the first stage when the coccyx is of the shortest, it is completely cartilage until the age of 2 (infancy period) and its first segment begins to ossify by the age of 3 (early childhood period), (b) in the second stage when the coccyx is of medium size, its first segment is completely ossified by the age of 6 (late childhood period) and the ossification of its all segments is completed from the age of 11 (prepubescent period), and (c) in the third stage when the coccyx is of the longest, it reaches to adult size (postpubescent period). Linear functions were calculated as y = 15.647 + 1.145 × age (p < 0.001, R2 = 0.561) for LL, and as y = 16.829 + 1.243 × age (p < 0.001, R2 = 0.559) for CLL.
Conclusion:
Considering that morphological features of the coccyx, such as ICA, can be used in the diagnosis of coccydynia, our dataset may facilitate the identification of children with suspected coccydynia.
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