Femur morphology in healthy infants and young children

Gina Bertocci; Nathan P. Brown; Angela Thompson; Karen Bertocci; Natalie L. Adolphi; Lauren Dvorscak; Mary Clyde Pierce

doi:10.1002/ca.23825

Femur morphology in healthy infants and young children

Gina Bertocci^*, Nathan P. Brown, Angela Thompson, Karen Bertocci, Natalie L. Adolphi, Lauren Dvorscak, Mary Clyde Pierce

^*Corresponding author for this work

Pediatrics

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

1 Scopus citations

Abstract

The objective of this study was to characterize femur morphology in healthy infants and young children. Anterior–posterior (AP) radiographs of the femur from children age 0–3 years with no history of bone disease were obtained from two children's hospitals and one medical examiner's office. Femur morphological measures (bone length, minimum diaphysis diameter, growth plate width, and femur radius of curvature) and sectional structural measures were determined. Measures were described and compared based on subject age and mass. Relationships between measures and age and mass were evaluated. The 169 AP femur radiographs were obtained from 99 children (59.6% males, median age = 12.0 months, IQR = 0–27.5 months, median body weight = 10.0 kg, IQR = 4.4–15.6 kg). Femur length (r_s = 0.97, p < 0.001; r_s = 0.89, p < 0.001), trochanter width (r_s = 0.86, p < 0.001; r_s = 0.85, p < 0.001), minimum diaphysis diameter (r_s = 0.91, p < 0.001; r_s = 0.87, p < 0.001), and growth plate width (r_s = 0.91, p < 0.001; r_s = 0.84, p < 0.001) increased with age and weight, respectively. Cross-sectional area (r_s = 0.87; r_s = 0.86; p < 0.01), polar moment of inertia (r_s = 0.91; r_s = 0.87; p < 0.001), moment of inertia (r_s = 0.91; r_s = 0.87; p < 0.001), polar modulus (r_s = 0.91; r_s = 0.87; p < 0.001) and medullary canal diameter (r_s = 0.83, p < 0.001; r_s = 0.73, p < 0.001) at the minimum diaphysis also increased with age and weight, respectively. Changes during rapid bone growth are important to understanding fracture risk in infants and young children as they transition to independent walking. Femur length, trochanter width, minimum diaphysis diameter and growth plate width increased with age and weight. Structural properties associated with fracture resistance also increased with age and weight.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	305-315
Number of pages	11
Journal	Clinical Anatomy
Volume	35
Issue number	3
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1002/ca.23825
State	Published - Apr 2022

Funding

This project was supported by Award No. 2015‐DN‐BX‐K018, awarded by the National Institute of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice. The opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the Department of Justice. Support for this study was also provided by the University of Louisville Biomechanics Endowment.

Keywords

bone development
bone morphology
bone properties
child
femur

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Anatomy
Histology

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10.1002/ca.23825

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title = "Femur morphology in healthy infants and young children",

abstract = "The objective of this study was to characterize femur morphology in healthy infants and young children. Anterior–posterior (AP) radiographs of the femur from children age 0–3 years with no history of bone disease were obtained from two children's hospitals and one medical examiner's office. Femur morphological measures (bone length, minimum diaphysis diameter, growth plate width, and femur radius of curvature) and sectional structural measures were determined. Measures were described and compared based on subject age and mass. Relationships between measures and age and mass were evaluated. The 169 AP femur radiographs were obtained from 99 children (59.6% males, median age = 12.0 months, IQR = 0–27.5 months, median body weight = 10.0 kg, IQR = 4.4–15.6 kg). Femur length (rs = 0.97, p < 0.001; rs = 0.89, p < 0.001), trochanter width (rs = 0.86, p < 0.001; rs = 0.85, p < 0.001), minimum diaphysis diameter (rs = 0.91, p < 0.001; rs = 0.87, p < 0.001), and growth plate width (rs = 0.91, p < 0.001; rs = 0.84, p < 0.001) increased with age and weight, respectively. Cross-sectional area (rs = 0.87; rs = 0.86; p < 0.01), polar moment of inertia (rs = 0.91; rs = 0.87; p < 0.001), moment of inertia (rs = 0.91; rs = 0.87; p < 0.001), polar modulus (rs = 0.91; rs = 0.87; p < 0.001) and medullary canal diameter (rs = 0.83, p < 0.001; rs = 0.73, p < 0.001) at the minimum diaphysis also increased with age and weight, respectively. Changes during rapid bone growth are important to understanding fracture risk in infants and young children as they transition to independent walking. Femur length, trochanter width, minimum diaphysis diameter and growth plate width increased with age and weight. Structural properties associated with fracture resistance also increased with age and weight.",

keywords = "bone development, bone morphology, bone properties, child, femur",

author = "Gina Bertocci and Brown, {Nathan P.} and Angela Thompson and Karen Bertocci and Adolphi, {Natalie L.} and Lauren Dvorscak and Pierce, {Mary Clyde}",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2021 American Association of Clinical Anatomists.",

year = "2022",

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doi = "10.1002/ca.23825",

language = "English (US)",

volume = "35",

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T1 - Femur morphology in healthy infants and young children

AU - Bertocci, Gina

AU - Brown, Nathan P.

AU - Thompson, Angela

AU - Bertocci, Karen

AU - Adolphi, Natalie L.

AU - Dvorscak, Lauren

AU - Pierce, Mary Clyde

PY - 2022/4

Y1 - 2022/4

N2 - The objective of this study was to characterize femur morphology in healthy infants and young children. Anterior–posterior (AP) radiographs of the femur from children age 0–3 years with no history of bone disease were obtained from two children's hospitals and one medical examiner's office. Femur morphological measures (bone length, minimum diaphysis diameter, growth plate width, and femur radius of curvature) and sectional structural measures were determined. Measures were described and compared based on subject age and mass. Relationships between measures and age and mass were evaluated. The 169 AP femur radiographs were obtained from 99 children (59.6% males, median age = 12.0 months, IQR = 0–27.5 months, median body weight = 10.0 kg, IQR = 4.4–15.6 kg). Femur length (rs = 0.97, p < 0.001; rs = 0.89, p < 0.001), trochanter width (rs = 0.86, p < 0.001; rs = 0.85, p < 0.001), minimum diaphysis diameter (rs = 0.91, p < 0.001; rs = 0.87, p < 0.001), and growth plate width (rs = 0.91, p < 0.001; rs = 0.84, p < 0.001) increased with age and weight, respectively. Cross-sectional area (rs = 0.87; rs = 0.86; p < 0.01), polar moment of inertia (rs = 0.91; rs = 0.87; p < 0.001), moment of inertia (rs = 0.91; rs = 0.87; p < 0.001), polar modulus (rs = 0.91; rs = 0.87; p < 0.001) and medullary canal diameter (rs = 0.83, p < 0.001; rs = 0.73, p < 0.001) at the minimum diaphysis also increased with age and weight, respectively. Changes during rapid bone growth are important to understanding fracture risk in infants and young children as they transition to independent walking. Femur length, trochanter width, minimum diaphysis diameter and growth plate width increased with age and weight. Structural properties associated with fracture resistance also increased with age and weight.

AB - The objective of this study was to characterize femur morphology in healthy infants and young children. Anterior–posterior (AP) radiographs of the femur from children age 0–3 years with no history of bone disease were obtained from two children's hospitals and one medical examiner's office. Femur morphological measures (bone length, minimum diaphysis diameter, growth plate width, and femur radius of curvature) and sectional structural measures were determined. Measures were described and compared based on subject age and mass. Relationships between measures and age and mass were evaluated. The 169 AP femur radiographs were obtained from 99 children (59.6% males, median age = 12.0 months, IQR = 0–27.5 months, median body weight = 10.0 kg, IQR = 4.4–15.6 kg). Femur length (rs = 0.97, p < 0.001; rs = 0.89, p < 0.001), trochanter width (rs = 0.86, p < 0.001; rs = 0.85, p < 0.001), minimum diaphysis diameter (rs = 0.91, p < 0.001; rs = 0.87, p < 0.001), and growth plate width (rs = 0.91, p < 0.001; rs = 0.84, p < 0.001) increased with age and weight, respectively. Cross-sectional area (rs = 0.87; rs = 0.86; p < 0.01), polar moment of inertia (rs = 0.91; rs = 0.87; p < 0.001), moment of inertia (rs = 0.91; rs = 0.87; p < 0.001), polar modulus (rs = 0.91; rs = 0.87; p < 0.001) and medullary canal diameter (rs = 0.83, p < 0.001; rs = 0.73, p < 0.001) at the minimum diaphysis also increased with age and weight, respectively. Changes during rapid bone growth are important to understanding fracture risk in infants and young children as they transition to independent walking. Femur length, trochanter width, minimum diaphysis diameter and growth plate width increased with age and weight. Structural properties associated with fracture resistance also increased with age and weight.

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KW - bone properties

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Femur morphology in healthy infants and young children

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