The prevalence and distribution of thoracic and lumbar vertebral numerical variation in the juveniles and adolescents without spinal deformities in Han population of Jiangsu

English Keywords:Vertebral number  Juveniles  Adolescents  Prevalence of variation

English Abstract:

  【Abstract】 Objectives: To detect the prevalence and distribution of thoracic and lumbar vertebral numerical variation in the juveniles and adolescents without spinal deformities in Jiangsu, and thus to increase awareness of vertebral numerical variation among the spine surgeons. Methods: A retrospective review of radiographs of 358 juveniles and adolescents without spinal deformities and aged between 3 and 18 in Jiangsu was performed. The study including 176 males and 182 females with standing full-spine radiography was reviewed to assess the number of thoracic and lumbar vertebrae. The prevalence and the distribution of the variation were recorded. The Chi-square test was used to detect the differences among the different types of variation in thoracic and lumbar vertebrae. Results: 9.2% of the subjects(thirty-three) had an atypical number of vertebrae in the thoracic and/or lumbar spine. Nineteen subjects(5.3%) had an atypical number of thoracic vertebrae, eighteen(5.0%) had eleven thoracic vertebrae and only 1 subject(0.2%) had thirteen thoracic vertebrae. Eighteen subjects(5.0%) had an atypical number of lumbar vertebrae, among whom one(0.2%) has four lumbar vertebrae and seventeen(4.7%) have six. The prevalence of variation of 11 thoracic vertebrae and 6 lumbar vertebrae was higher than that of the 13 thoracic vertebrae and 4 lumbar vertebrae respectively(P<0.05). Fourteen(3.9%) subjects had 16 thoracic and lumbar vertebrae and fifteen(4.2%) subjects had 18 thoracic and lumbar vertebrae. Multilevel vertebral anomalies were present in 1.1% of the subjects(four of 358), with 11 thoracic vertebrae and 6 lumbar vertebrae for all. Conclusions: The variation of the number of thoracic or lumbar vertebrae was found in 9.2% juveniles and adolescents without spinal deformities, with a higher possibility of variable 11 thoracic or 6 lumbar vertebrae in Han population of Jiangsu.