“…The burial groups and spatial proximity of the skeletons exhibiting OA in the cemetery could indicate familial and possibly genetic links [28]. The EOs, sometimes known as suprasternal bones, are less well-known anatomical variants and have been investigated in relatively few studies; their prevalence ranges from 1.2% to 6.9% [8][9][10][11]. In our study, their prevalence was 2.2%.…”
Section: Discussionmentioning
confidence: 72%
“…The OA is a condition where the acromion bone of the shoulder blade fails to fuse during development, resulting in a separate bone fragment in around 7% of the general population [7]. The EOs are less well-known small accessory bones located at the posterior side of the manubrium present in 1.2% to 6.9% of individuals [8][9][10][11]. The CR, found in 1.1% of individuals [12], is an extra rib from the seventh cervical vertebra which is strongly associated with the development of thoracic outlet syndrome.…”
Background and Objectives: Anatomical variations in the head, neck and chest are common, and are observed as occasional findings on computed tomography (CT). Although anatomical variations are mostly asymptomatic and do not cause any negative influence on the body function, they may jeopardize diagnosis and may be confused with pathological conditions. The presence of variations may also limit surgical access during tumor removal. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of six anatomical variations—os acromiale, episternal ossicles, cervical rib, Stafne bone cavity, azygos lobe and tracheal bronchus—in an open-access computed tomography dataset obtained from oropharyngeal cancer patients. Materials and Methods: A total of 606 upper-chest and neck computed-tomography scans (79.4% male and 20.6% female) were retrospectively investigated. Sex difference was evaluated using the z-test for two proportions. Results: Os acromiale, episternal ossicles, cervical rib, Stafne bone cavity, azygos lobe, and tracheal bronchus were present in 3.1%, 2.2%, 0.2%, 0%, 0.3% and 0.5%, respectively, of all patients. Os acromiale was identified as meso-acromion in 86.6%, and as pre-acromion in 17.4%, of all acromia. Episternal ossicles were present unilaterally in 58.3%, and bilaterally in 41.7%, of all sterna. Only the cervical rib showed a sex difference in prevalence. Conclusions: awareness of these variations is important for radiologists interpreting head, neck and chest CTs; for example, those of oropharyngeal cancer patients. This study also illustrates the applicability of publicly available datasets in prevalence-based anatomical research. While most of the variations investigated in the present study are well-known, the episternal ossicles are not well explored, and need further investigation.
“…The burial groups and spatial proximity of the skeletons exhibiting OA in the cemetery could indicate familial and possibly genetic links [28]. The EOs, sometimes known as suprasternal bones, are less well-known anatomical variants and have been investigated in relatively few studies; their prevalence ranges from 1.2% to 6.9% [8][9][10][11]. In our study, their prevalence was 2.2%.…”
Section: Discussionmentioning
confidence: 72%
“…The OA is a condition where the acromion bone of the shoulder blade fails to fuse during development, resulting in a separate bone fragment in around 7% of the general population [7]. The EOs are less well-known small accessory bones located at the posterior side of the manubrium present in 1.2% to 6.9% of individuals [8][9][10][11]. The CR, found in 1.1% of individuals [12], is an extra rib from the seventh cervical vertebra which is strongly associated with the development of thoracic outlet syndrome.…”
Background and Objectives: Anatomical variations in the head, neck and chest are common, and are observed as occasional findings on computed tomography (CT). Although anatomical variations are mostly asymptomatic and do not cause any negative influence on the body function, they may jeopardize diagnosis and may be confused with pathological conditions. The presence of variations may also limit surgical access during tumor removal. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of six anatomical variations—os acromiale, episternal ossicles, cervical rib, Stafne bone cavity, azygos lobe and tracheal bronchus—in an open-access computed tomography dataset obtained from oropharyngeal cancer patients. Materials and Methods: A total of 606 upper-chest and neck computed-tomography scans (79.4% male and 20.6% female) were retrospectively investigated. Sex difference was evaluated using the z-test for two proportions. Results: Os acromiale, episternal ossicles, cervical rib, Stafne bone cavity, azygos lobe, and tracheal bronchus were present in 3.1%, 2.2%, 0.2%, 0%, 0.3% and 0.5%, respectively, of all patients. Os acromiale was identified as meso-acromion in 86.6%, and as pre-acromion in 17.4%, of all acromia. Episternal ossicles were present unilaterally in 58.3%, and bilaterally in 41.7%, of all sterna. Only the cervical rib showed a sex difference in prevalence. Conclusions: awareness of these variations is important for radiologists interpreting head, neck and chest CTs; for example, those of oropharyngeal cancer patients. This study also illustrates the applicability of publicly available datasets in prevalence-based anatomical research. While most of the variations investigated in the present study are well-known, the episternal ossicles are not well explored, and need further investigation.
“…A total of 63 full text articles were assessed by authors for potential eligibility. After excluding articles for containing exclusion criteria as listed above as well as duplicates, 35 articles were included into the meta-analysis [ 1 , 2 , 4 – 10 , 12 , 14 , 16 – 20 , 22 – 24 , 26 , 27 , 29 , 31 , 33 – 39 , 41 – 45 ]. Fig.…”
Purpose
Sternal foramen is a perforation of the sternum that can be a source of misdiagnosis during radiographic imaging or life-threatening perforations during bone marrow sampling. The aim of this study was to conduct a meta-analysis on the prevalence, morphometrics, and location of foramen in the sternal body and xiphoid process, describe morphometric features of this phenomenon, and thus verify its clinical importance. Moreover, our secondary outcome was to compare effectiveness of various imaging methods in diagnosis of the sternal or xiphoid foramen.
Methods
A comprehensive search was conducted on major scientific databases to identify studies containing relevant information. Data on foramen’s prevalence, location, morphometrics, and accompanying findings were extracted and pooled into a meta-analysis using MetaXL 5.0.
Results
Thirty-five studies (n = 16,666 subjects) were included. The overall pooled prevalence of a foramen in the sternal body and/or a xiphoid process was 8.9% (95% CI 6.5–11.7) and it equaled 6.5% (95% CI 5.6–7.6) for sternal body alone and 2.9% (95% CI 0.5–6.9) for the xiphoid process. The foramen was more prevalent in males than in females (12.2% vs. 6.8%). The prevalence of sternal foramen was higher in South American [13.9% (95% CI 11.2–16.9)] and African [13.6% (95% CI 9.7–18.0)] studies compared to North American [6.2% (95% CI 5.0–7.5)] and European populations [8.6% (95% CI 3.1–16.3)]. Mean transverse and vertical diameter of foramen equaled 4.7 mm (95% CI 3.8–5.5), and 5.6 mm (95% CI 4.2–6.9), respectively.
Conclusion
Our analysis proves that the sternal foramina are structures of significant prevalence and size. Any physician should keep them in mind when performing punctures in this area.
“…Formation of the sternum arises from numerous prenatal and postnatal ossification centers, with recent literature recording up to six centers: one within the manubrium of the sternum, up to four throughout the body of the sternum, and one within the xiphoid process [5,6]. Due to this highly multifarious development, anatomical variations throughout the sternum have been thoroughly documented and most commonly include manubriosternal fusion, sternoxiphoidal fusion, a sternal cleft or defect, a sternal foramen, and/or a suprasternal tubercle [7].…”
The sternum, or "breastbone," is a principal bony component of the anterior thoracic wall and comprises the manubrium of the sternum, the body of the sternum, and the xiphoid process. The xiphoid process is the most inferior of these elements and commonly presents as a small, solid bone shaped like an inverted triangle. However, clinical literature has reported numerous variations in its size, shape, and presentation, likely the result of its lengthy embryological development from cartilage into fully ossified bone. In this case report, a rare, anteriorly deviated, partially ossified xiphoid process with a large, teardrop-shaped foramen is presented that was discovered during a routine cadaveric dissection of a 75-year-old male within an undergraduate anatomy course. Although anatomical variations in the xiphoid process are often asymptomatic and often only found incidentally through CT or X-ray scans, healthcare professionals should be aware of such variations to avoid both misdiagnoses as well as iatrogenic complications.
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