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Positive correlation found between femoral length, radius of curvature

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Data on differences in the radius of curvatures based on variation in height and femur length may prove useful in the design of safer intramedullary implants that accommodate a greater spectrum of anatomic variation, according to study results.

Researchers conducted a retrospective review of the electronic medical records and advanced imaging of 1,961patients who underwent pulmonary embolism protocol CT scans between December 1999 and March 2010. The CT scans were imported from a clinical picture archiving and communication system archive into a research image archive and analysis system. An automated system algorithmically determined bony landmarks, adjusted for body position within the scanner and measured the radius of curvature of each scan.

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Results showed a mean medullary radius of curvature of 112 cm in 3,922 femurs and a mean anterior radius of curvature of 145 cm. Researchers found a moderately strong positive correlation between femoral length and radius of curvature, which was not affected by age, body mass index, cortical thickness, gender or ethnicity. According to study results, no significant relationship was found between either gender or ethnicity and radius of curvature independent of femoral length.

“By using new methods to automate image analysis, we were able to accurately and efficiently study the femoral radius of curvature on a large collection of CT scans,” Joseph Maratt, MD, of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at the University of Michigan, told Orthopedics Today. “We found that the differences in radius of curvature based on ethnicity and gender exist primarily because of the variation in average height, and therefore femur length, that exists between ethnic groups and genders. The results of our project may prove useful in the design of safer intramedullary implants that accommodate a greater spectrum of anatomic variation.” — by Casey Tingle

Reference:

Maratt J. J Orthop Trauma. 2014;doi:10.1097/BOT.0b013e31829ff3c9.

Disclosure: Maratt has no relevant financial disclosures.