Anatomical study of the proximal femur in the fetus

Abstract

Two angles effectively describe the upper femur geometry: The neck shaft angle (NSA) and anteversion (AV). AV and NSA decrease from birth until they reach their adult values, but little work has focused on in-utero life. Our aim was to determine if and how AV and NSA change through the fetal life. Eighty-seven femurs from 44 formalin preserved fetuses were sampled to achieve a biometry. Correlation tests and linear regression showed that AV was highly correlated with age: AV increases during the second half of gestation. No conclusion can be given concerning NSA. It is speculated that these changes may be caused by mechanical stresses.