Small Intestine and Vermiform Appendix Lengths in Healthy Adults: Intraoperative Morphometric Data from a Living...

Area of Science:

• Anatomy
• Surgical Anatomy

Background:

• Normative data for small intestine and appendix lengths in vivo are limited.
• These anatomical parameters are crucial for bariatric surgery, transplantation, and short bowel syndrome management.

Purpose of the Study:

• Establish reference values for small intestine and appendix length in healthy living liver donors.
• Investigate potential anatomical and functional correlations between the small intestine and appendix.

Main Methods:

• Intraoperative measurements of small intestine (ligament of Treitz to ileocecal valve) and appendix (base to tip) length in 99 healthy living liver donors.
• Analysis of morphometric measurements and anthropometric variables, including sex-based differences and correlations.

Main Results:

• Mean small intestine length was 630 ± 104.7 cm (greater in males); mean appendix length was 84.8 ± 21.1 mm (no sex difference).
• A weak positive correlation (r = 0.237, p = 0.021) was observed between small intestine and appendix length.
• Appendix length ≥ 8 cm was associated with small intestine length > 600 cm; retrocecal appendix position was rare (4.0%).

Conclusions:

• Provides descriptive measurements for small intestine and appendix length in a healthy donor cohort.
• The observed relationship between the appendix and small intestine is weak and requires further exploratory investigation.
• Findings currently lack direct implications for clinical decision-making.