Thoracic cage volume and dimension assessment by optoelectronic molding in normal children and adolescents during growth

• Published in: Surgical and radiologic anatomy (English ed.) 2019-03, Vol.41 (3), p.287-296
• Main Authors: Canavese, Federico, Dimeglio, Alain, Bonnel, François, Corradin, Marco, Pereira, Bruno, Marcoul, Amélie, Charles, Yann Philippe
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescents; Age; Anatomy; Children; Children & youth; Data acquisition; Growth rate; Imaging; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Original Article; Orthopedics; Radiology; Spine (thoracic); Sternum; Surgery; Teenagers
• ISSN: 0930-1038; 1279-8517
• DOI: 10.1007/s00276-018-2164-4

Purpose The thoracic spine, the chondral and osseous ribs, and the sternum together make up the thoracic cage. These elements are strictly correlated, although their growth is not synchronous. The purpose of this study is to provide a comprehensive data set of thoracic dimensions and non-invasive volumetric assessment in a large cohort of males and females from early childhood to young adult age. Methods In all, 622 healthy individuals (406 girls, 216 boys) aged 6–18 years were consecutively enrolled between 2006 and 2016. All had to be healthy with no history of spinal deformity, or any lung, cardiovascular, systemic or neuromuscular disease. The optical ORTEN system for trunk surface data acquisition was used to calculate thoracic cage volume ( V ) and perimeter (Pe), anterior–posterior depth (AP) and transverse diameter (TD), AP/TD ratio, sternal length (St), and T1–T12 distance (Tle) in all patients. Results The overall average age was 11.1 ± 2.5 years (4–18) for girls and 11.0 ± 3.1 years (4–18) for boys. Average growth parameters were: standing height 146.2 ± 14.6 cm (103–172) for girls and 146.4 ± 20.0 cm (94–192) for boys, sitting height 75.4 ± 8.6 cm (61–91) for girls and 75.5 ± 10.3 cm (60–99) for boys, weight 37.6 ± 10.4 kg (16–65) for girls and 38.3 ± 14.3 kg (13.7–104) for boys, BMI 16.7 ± 3.7 (18.5–26) for girls and 17.0 ± 3.3 (18.7–34.3) for boys. At age 6–8 years: V was 52.5% of its final size in girls and 44.9% in boys; Pe was 80.2% its final length in girls and 76.8% in boys; St reached 68% of its final size in girls and 66.9% in boys; Tle reached 73.3% of its final length in girls and 71.2% in boys. At skeletal maturity, thoracic cage volume in boys was 19.4% greater than in girls ( p