Lumbosacral lordosis in fetal spine: genetic or mechanic parameter

Many believe that the fetus spine had only one curvature from cranial to caudal which is a global kyphosis and that the lumbosacral lordosis appears with the erect posture. They agree that the sacrum of Homo sapiens is not positioned posteriorly at birth and that it is during the first few years tha...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:European spine journal 2009-09, Vol.18 (9), p.1342-1348
Main Authors: Choufani, Elie, Jouve, Jean-Luc, Pomero, Vincent, Adalian, Pascal, Chaumoitre, Kathia, Panuel, Michel
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Aging - physiology
Anthropometry - methods
Biological anthropology
Biometry - methods
Female
Fetus - anatomy & histology
Fetus - physiology
Gait - physiology
Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental - physiology
Humanities and Social Sciences
Humans
Image Processing, Computer-Assisted
Lordosis - embryology
Lumbar Vertebrae - embryology
Lumbar Vertebrae - physiology
Magnetic Resonance Imaging - methods
Male
Medicine
Medicine & Public Health
Middle Aged
Neurosurgery
Original
Original Article
Pelvis - anatomy & histology
Posture - physiology
Pregnancy
Sacrum - embryology
Sacrum - physiology
Software
Spine - embryology
Spine - physiology
Stress, Mechanical
Surgical Orthopedics
Weight-Bearing - physiology
Young Adult
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Summary:Many believe that the fetus spine had only one curvature from cranial to caudal which is a global kyphosis and that the lumbosacral lordosis appears with the erect posture. They agree that the sacrum of Homo sapiens is not positioned posteriorly at birth and that it is during the first few years that the sacrum, in humans, moves dorsally in relation with the progressive acquisition of erect posture and the ontogeny of bipedal locomotion. Nevertheless, there is no biometric study assessing these parameters in vivo in utero during the fetal life. Cross-sectional biometric study of the lumbosacral junction of the spine in in utero fetuses was to document the presence of a lumbosacral lordosis in the fetal population in utero long before standing and walking and its change during growth. Forty-five MRIs (magnetic resonance imaging) of fetuses aged of 23–40 weeks of gestation were analyzed. The measurements were performed on computerized MRI DICOM images using a professional software to calculate the curvature and radius of the lumbosacral junction. The presence or absence of visual lumbosacral lordosis was noted for each case. Correlation tests were performed in order to disclose a correlation between the gestational age and the curvature calculated. A test was considered significant for P  
ISSN:0940-6719
1432-0932
DOI:10.1007/s00586-009-1012-y