Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2023 Jan;36(1):2-10.
doi: 10.1002/ca.23971. Epub 2022 Oct 31.

The anatomical growth of the thoracic cage in adolescents with specific reference to axial growth comparing the right and left hemithorax

James E Archer  1 , Huan Dong  1 , Fiona Berryman  1 , Paul Pynsent  2 , Adrian Gardner  1   3
Affiliations
Review

The anatomical growth of the thoracic cage in adolescents with specific reference to axial growth comparing the right and left hemithorax

James E Archer et al. Clin Anat. 2023 Jan.

Abstract

This study has demonstrated the changing volume of both the anterior and posterior thorax in normal adolescents (without spinal or thoracic deformity), differentiating for both sex and age, to further understand how the thorax grows, along with the differences in growth between the anterior and posterior thorax. The thorax was measured on axial CT slices at every vertebral level from T3 to T12 in a series of scans previous taken for routine clinical care. Measurements taken were the anteroposterior thoracic distance and the area of the anterior and posterior rib prominences on either side of the thorax. Data was analyzed per vertebral level, differentiating for age and sex. There were 486 CT scans analyzed (257 males and 229 females) between the ages of 8 and 18 years. The analysis identified that for the anterior thorax, there are three phases of growth with an initial slow increase in volume, followed by a stabilization of little growth, followed by another phase of a more rapid increase in volume. For the posterior thorax, there was a gradual increase in area with increasing age. This study demonstrates that the shape of the thorax is age and sex dependent, with males having both a greater width and depth of thorax compared to females. Of particular note is the difference in patterns of growth between the anterior and posterior thorax. This information will add to the understanding of normal growth, which will aid in the management of conditions where that growth is disturbed.

Keywords: anterior; area; growth; normal; posterior; thoracic cage; thorax.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

REFERENCES

    1. Aaro, S., & Dahlborn, M. (1981). Estimation of vertebral rotation and the spinal and rib cage deformity in scoliosis by computer tomography. Spine (Phila Pa 1976), 6(5), 460-467.
    1. Archer, J. E., Gardner, A., Berryman, F., & Pynsent, P. (2016). The measurement of the normal thorax using the Haller index methodology at multiple vertebral levels. Journal of Anatomy, 229(4), 577-581.
    1. Avşar, D. K., Aygıt, A. C., Benlier, E., Top, H., & Taşkınalp, O. (2010). Anthropometric breast measurement: A study of 385 Turkish female students. Aesthetic Surgery Journal, 30(1), 44-50.
    1. Bastir, M., García, M. D., Recheis, W., Barash, A., Coquerelle, M., Rios, L., Peña-Melián, Á., García, R. F., & O'Higgins, P. (2013). Differential growth and development of the upper and lower human thorax. PLoS One, 8(9), e75128.
    1. Bellemare, F., Jeanneret, A., & Couture, J. (2003). Sex differences in thoracic dimensions and configuration. American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, 168(3), 305-312.

LinkOut - more resources