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A method for sonographic counting of the lower vertebral bodies in newborns and infants
F J Beek1, M S van Leeuwen, N M Bax
1Department of Radiology, University Hospital Utrecht, The Netherlands.
Purpose:
To determine whether the lumbosacral junction of the vertebral column can be identified with sonography in newborns and infants and thus serve as a method for counting the lumbar and sacral vertebral bodies.
Methods:
In 32 newborns and infants, the number of ossified vertebral bodies distal to the lumbosacral junction was counted with sonography and radiography.
Results:
Sonographic and radiographic findings agreed in 29 of 32 examinations (91%).
Conclusions:
The lordotic transition at the lumbosacral junction can be identified with sonography in the majority of newborns and infants, allowing intraspinal structures to be related to a specific vertebral level.