DENSITOMETRIC STUDY OF DEVELOPING VERTEBRAL BODIES

To define the quantitative aspects of ossification of human fetal spin e, we performed a high resolution densitometric study by lateral and p ostero-anterior scanning of five fetal spines (18-36 weeks of conceptu al age) and one spine of a 4-month-old infant. The data were plotted a gainst developmental age for each spine and vertebra. Bone mineral con tent increased with developmental age, with a peak at the upper lumbar level, in agreement with the ossification pattern of the spine, repor ted in embryological literature. Bone mineral density (BMD) was unrela ted to developmental age, and showed similar trends for each vertebra in all the vertebral columns examined. The changes of BMD seems to be a phenomenon related to individual variability. This study also demons trates that densitometric techniques may provide useful and interestin g information in studies on skeletal development.