Sacralization is not associated with elongated cervical costal process and cervical rib

Abstract

Cervical rib/elongated costal process of the seventh cervical vertebra and sacralization of a lumbar vertebra are associated with clinical problems-neurological, vascular, and obstetrical. A previous study reported an association between these morphologies, and suggested that clinicians use presence of one trait to predict presence of the other. This study tested three hypotheses from this association: costal process length among individuals with sacralization differs from that among individuals without sacralization for: (1) only the seventh cervical vertebra, (2) only transitional presacral vertebrae-seventh cervical, twelfth thoracic, and fifth lumbar, and (3) presacral vertebrae in general. Skeletons of 961 individuals between ages 20 and 49 years from the United States were surveyed for sacralization. Costal process length was measured on 100 individuals with sacralization and 184 without sacralization for cervical vertebrae 3 to 7, thoracic vertebrae 11 and 12, and all lumbar vertebrae. Cervical rib was evaluated for 102 individuals with sacralization and 472 without sacralization. Results showed that 11% (105 of 961) of individuals have sacralization. Compared to individuals without sacralization, those with sacralization: (1) have significantly longer costal process for the last lumbar vertebra, but are nonsignificantly different for costal process lengths of other vertebrae, (2) are nonsignificantly different in prevalence of cervical rib-2.9% with sacralization and 0.4% without sacralization, and (3) are significantly more likely to have an extra presacral vertebra. Clinically, results suggest that sacralization is not a predicate for either cervical rib or elongated costal process of the seventh cervical vertebra.

Prevalence of C7 level anomalies at the C7 level: an important landmark for cervical nerve ultrasonography

“…We are unaware of any reports on the proportion of anomalous presence of anterior tubercles at the C7 transverse process with which to compare our finding of approximately 1%. Our finding that approximately 0.3% (7/2067 patients) had cervical ribs at the C7 transverse process is similar to the findings in previous reports of 0.42% (13), 0.74% (14), 0.87% (15), and 6.1% (11). We do not have an explanation for the difference between our result and that of Erkin et al.…”

Proximate cause, anatomical correlates, and obstetrical implication of a supernumerary lumbar vertebra in humans

“…I chose the costal facet as a principal criterion for distinguishing thoracic and lumbar vertebrae for two reasons. First, this project is one of a series of projects dealing with the costal process (Tague, ). Second, absence or presence of a costal facet is a nominal variable, whereas zygapophyseal orientation is an interval variable.…”

Congenital malformations in the vertebral column: associations and possible embryologic origins

“…The results indicated that 60% of the cases with sacrococcygeal fusion were not associated with TLTV. The reported prevalence in literature of sacrococcygeal fusion ranges between 0 to 71.7% [40]. Thus, the result is not surprising, as sacrococcygeal fusion specifically refers to the ankylosing of the coccyx to the sacrum [41,42].…”