The Morphometric Characteristic of the Acetabulum and Some Structures of the Hip Joint in 18–22 Weeks of Fetus Development

Abstract

The purposeof the study is to obtain new quantitative morphometric data on the anatomy of the acetabulum, femoral head and femoral head ligament in 18–22 weeks of fetus development.Materials and methods.The object of the research were 30 human fetuses 20–22 weeks of development, obtained in artificial abortion according to the social reasons. We used a set of morphological techniques: macromicroscopic preparation, a method of cuts according to N. I. Pirogov, preparing of serial histotopograms, morphometry and a method of statistical analysis. All samples were divided into three age groups: 18–19 weeks, 20–21 weeks and 22 week.Results. New quantitative morphometric data of the main parameters of the acetabulum, femoral head and its ligament in human fetuses with the age interval of 2 weeks were obtained. Based on the analysis of the data, it was found that at the period from 18 to 22 weeks of development, the vertical diameter of the acetabulum is larger than the horizontal one; the depth of the acetabulum changes with less intensity than the diameters. A wide range of absolute values of the parameters studied, as well as the difference in the degree of ossification of the acetabulum, suggest the presence of individual features of development. Changes in the diameters of the femoral head correlate with changes in the acetabulum itself. Significant asymmetry and sexual dimorphism of these structures have not been identified.Conclusion. It was revealed that in the period of 18–22 weeks of development, the formation of the anatomy of the acetabulum is actively underway. The dynamics of change of quantitative parameters of the hip joint structures has the character of a uniform increase over the period studied. In addition, the results of the work suggest the presence of individual features of the anatomy of the acetabulum of the fetus.