Thoracolumbar transitional vertebrae : quantitative differentiation and associated numeric variation in the vertebral column using skeletal remains

dc.contributor.authorPoolman, Anneli M.
dc.contributor.authorWessels, Quenton
dc.contributor.authorVan Schoor, Albert-Neels
dc.contributor.authorKeough, Natalie
dc.date.accessioned2023-10-16T09:41:33Z
dc.date.available2023-10-16T09:41:33Z
dc.date.issued2023-08
dc.descriptionDATA AVAILABILITY : Data is available on the University of Pretoria public database.en_US
dc.description.abstractTransitional vertebrae at the thoracolumbar region are called thoracolumbar transitional vertebrae (TLTV) and retain physical features from the thoracic and lumbar regions. Since TLTV were first classified 40 years ago, there has been much discrepancy regarding its features, identification and clinical relevance. Vertebral body levels are used in the medical field as a frame of reference to locate specific organs, vessels, nerves or landmarks. Any numeric variation or deviation in the vertebral column may lead to clinical errors. Previous findings have suggested a high association between numeric variation and the presence of TLTV. Therefore, the aim of this study was to identify the types of TLTV observed and to identify any possible associated numeric variation in the vertebral column. This study also aimed to validate the established technique to quantitatively differentiate TLTV from T12 and L1 at the thoracolumbar junction using skeletal remains from a South African population group. Skeletal remains (n= 187) remains from the Pretoria bone collection were assessed. Measurements were taken of the angle of the superior zygapophyseal processes of the last thoracic vertebra (T12), the first lumbar (L1), and identified TLTV. The results indicate a TLTV prevalence of 35% (n= 66/187). The results show that each vertebral type (T12, L1, TLTV) fall into independent confidence intervals: T12 is 188° ± 9.22 (CI: 187° <μ< 189.6°), 110° ± 7.52 (CI: 109.2° <μ< 111.3°) in L1, and 135° ± 24.51 (CI: 130.4° <μ< 139.1°) in the TLTV. This study observed that 70% of cases with TLTV was associated with numeric variation in the spine, both homeotic and meristic and that TLTV has a 35% prevalence. The results clearly show that quantitative morphometric analysis can effectively differentiate TLTV from other vertebral types at the thoracolumbar junction in skeletal remains.en_US
dc.description.departmentAnatomyen_US
dc.description.urihttp://www.wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/joaen_US
dc.identifier.citationPoolman, A.M., Wessels, Q., Schoor, A.V. & Keough, N. (2023) Thoracolumbar transitional vertebrae: Quantitative differentiation and associated numeric variation in the vertebral column using skeletal remains. Journal of Anatomy, 243(2), 311–318. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1111/joa.13865.en_US
dc.identifier.issn0021-8782 (print)
dc.identifier.issn1469-7580 (online)
dc.identifier.other10.1111/joa.13865
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/2263/92885
dc.language.isoenen_US
dc.publisherWileyen_US
dc.rights© 2023 The Authors. Journal of Anatomy published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Anatomical Society. This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License.en_US
dc.subjectAnatomical variationen_US
dc.subjectCongenitalen_US
dc.subjectMalformationsen_US
dc.subjectSuperior articular processen_US
dc.subjectThoracolumbar transitional vertebrae (TLTV)en_US
dc.subject.otherHealth sciences articles SDG-03
dc.subject.otherSDG-03: Good health and well-being
dc.titleThoracolumbar transitional vertebrae : quantitative differentiation and associated numeric variation in the vertebral column using skeletal remainsen_US
dc.typeArticleen_US

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