Anatomical study of the proximal femur in the fetus
Résumé
Two angles effectively describe the upper femur geometry: The neck shaft angle (NSA) and anteversion (AV). AV and NSA decrease from birth until they reach their adult values, but little work has focused on in-utero life. Our aim was to determine if and how AV and NSA change through the fetal life. Eighty-seven femurs from 44 formalin preserved fetuses were sampled to achieve a biometry. Correlation tests and linear regression showed that AV was highly correlated with age: AV increases during the second half of gestation. No conclusion can be given concerning NSA. It is speculated that these changes may be caused by mechanical stresses.
Mots clés
Biometry
Cadaver
Comparative Study
Dissection<br />Embryonic Structures anatomy histology
Female
Femur Head anatomy histology embryology
Fetal Development physiology
Fetus anatomy histology
Hip Joint anatomy histology
Humans
Linear Models
Male
Observer Variation
Reference Values
Sensitivity and Specificity
<br />Time Factors