Developmental and radiological anatomy of sternum and ribs, evaluation of the changes of the costochondral junction, sternum and medial clavicular epiphysis with aging by multislice computed tomography

The aim of this study was to investigate the correlation of the development of the medial clavicular epiphysis with aging, the frequency of the sternum, ribs and anterior chest wall variations and anomalies in population, the relationship between age and developing costochondral junction calcifications, the development of the sternum and the relationship between age and fusion of the sternal ossification centers among themselves.658 patients between the ages of 0-30 who underwent Thorax CT examinations by Multislice Computed Tomography were included the study. 340 patients were 0-18 years of age and 318 were 18-30 years of age.Medial clavicle epiphyses developments were evaluated according to the Schmelling's staging system. The earliest occurrence of stage 4 cases that epiphyses and metaphys of the medial clavicle were completely fused, were observed at age 19.2 and it was consistent with the literature.In our study, in 249 cases the rate of sternal anomalies were found 37.8% . 48 cases were children, 200 were adults.Manubriosternal fusion rate was 14.7% and sternoxiphoidal fusion rate was 22,6%. These cases were thought as variational conditions that the incidence rate increases by aging.92 cases had costae anomalies, its rate was found as 14%.In 27 cases the rate of anterior chest wall anomalies were found 4.1%.Costocondral calcifications detected in younger ages in female than males. Youngest case with costocondral calcification was 10.9 years old. The oldest age that costocondral calcification not detected was around 24. İn the first two decades, the incidence of costochondral calcification was higher in women than men.A lot of variabilities in ossification center numbers those forming manubrium and sternum corpus was found in study group. Because of this diversity of cases of ossification centers in corpus, correlation with age and time to fusion between sternebreas could not be detected. Ossification centers those forming manubrium and corpus were having fusion by aging and number of ossification centers were found as decreasing. In 89% of cases in corpus fusion between sternebreas were following caudocranial direction. Ossification centers in xiphoid process were found as forming in both fetal and postnatal period. Forming of ossification of cases were found as increasing by aging.