[Length of the kidney and length of the foot. Correlative study during the fetal period]

Abstract

The renal length growth was studied in 240 specimens taken from 120 staged human fetuses (74 males and 46 females). The gestational age of the fetuses ranged between 10 and 36 weeks postconception. The kidneys were measured for greatest length and the data correlated to fetal foot length by using the allometric method (Y = bXk). Equations and growth curves for males, females and whole sample are presented. The renal length grows with greater velocity in early gestation. These was no growth difference between left and right kidneys. During the third trimester, males fetuses presented renal length significantly greater than females. This study has practical utility in the quantitative determination of renal anomalies.