Postnatal maturation of the sacrum and coccyx: MR imaging, helical CT, and conventional radiography.
Abstract
The purpose of this paper is to provide a detailed radiologic description of the postnatal developmental anatomy of the sacrum and coccyx as revealed by MR imaging, helical CT, and conventional radiography.
One hundred ten imaging examinations of the sacrococcygeal spine were performed in patients who were newborn to 30 years old. Imaging included conventional radiography (n = 63), three-dimensional gradient-recalled echo MR imaging (n = 10), and helical CT with sagittal and angled coronal reformations (n = 37). A detailed analysis was performed of the ossification and fusion of the primary and secondary ossification centers.
The sacrum and coccyx were noted to develop from 58 to 60 sacral ossification centers and eight coccygeal centers, respectively. These centers were noted to ossify and fuse in an organized temporal pattern from the fetal period to the age of 30.
The sacrum and coccyx are formed by a complex process that fuses primary and secondary ossification centers. Because the maturation process can be asymmetric, an understanding of this process may prove useful for distinguishing physeal plates from fracture lines.
Formats available
You can view the full content in the following formats:
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Copyright
© American Roentgen Ray Society.
History
First published: January 19, 2013
Authors
Metrics & Citations
Metrics
Citations
Export Citations
To download the citation to this article, select your reference manager software.