Abstract
Background
To date, no single comprehensive review has been published regarding lumbar ribs. Therefore, the present review was conducted to better elucidate these variant anatomical structures, which can be confused with transverse process fractures or result in miscounting of spine segments for surgical procedures.
Methods
Using standard search engines, a review of lumbar ribs was performed.
Conclusions
Lumbar ribs are uncommon but can be misinterpreted on imaging or cause confusion during surgery. Mutations of the FGD1 or Hox10 gene may be involved in the development of lumbar ribs. Knowledge of these structures can decrease misdiagnosis when they are present.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Cumming J (1926) Lumbar rib of unrecorded type. Br Med J 55:12–15
Anap D, Diwante A, Ganvir SD, Kachewar S, Prabhakar A (2012) Lumbar rib: an uncommon causation of a common manifestation. Rom J Phys Ther 29:19–22
Aiello L, Dean C (2002) An introduction to human evolutionary anatomy: the hominid thorax and vertebral column. Elsevier Ltd, New York, p 299
Wéry N, Blacker A, Foulon O, Fofflot F, Picard JJ (2009) Vertebral malformations induced by sodium salicylate correlate with shifts in expression domains of Hox genes. Reprod Toxicol 20:39–45
Mahajan PS, Al Moosawi NM, Ahamad N, Hasan IA (2013) A unique case of left second supernumerary and left third bifid intrathoracic ribs with block vertebrae and hypoplastic left lung. Case Rep Radiol 2013:12–16
Kamano H, Ishihama H, Ishihama T, Kubota Y, Tanka T, Satoh K (2006) Bifid intrathoracic rib: a case report and classification of intrathoracic ribs. Inten Med 45:627–630
Foulon O, Girard H, Pallen C, Urtizberea M, Repetto-Larsay M, Blacker AM (1999) Induction of supernumerary ribs with sodium salicylate. Reprod Toxicol 13:369–374
Kawanishi CY, Hartig P, Bobseine KL, Schmid J, Cardon M, Massenburg G, Chernoff N (2003) Axial skeletal and Hox expression domain alterations induced by retinoic acid, valproic acid, and bromoxynil during murine development. J Biochem Mol Toxicol 17:346–356
Gorski JL, Estrada L, Hu C, Liu Z (2000) Skeletal- specific expression of Fgd1 during bone formation and skeletal defects in faciogenital dysplasia (FGDY; Aarskog syndrome). Dev Dyn 281:573–586
Pope K, Samanich J, Ramesh KH, Cannizzaro L, Pan Q, Babcock M (2011) Dextrocardia, atrial septal defect, severe developmental delay, facial anomalies, and supernumerary ribs in a child with a complex unbalanced 8;22 translocation including partial 8p duplication. Am J Med Genet A 158A:641–647
Nakajima A, Usui A, Hosokai Y, Kawasumi Y, Abiko K, Saito H, Funayama M (2014) The prevalence of morphological changes in the thoracolumbar spine on whole spine computed tomographic images. Insights Imaging 5:77–83
Casha AR, Camilleri L, Manche A, Gatt R, Attard D, Wolak W, Dudek K, Gauci M, Giordimanina C, Grima JN (2015) A hypothesis for reactivation of pulmonary tuberculosis: how thoracic wall shape affects the epidemiology of tuberculosis. Clin Anat 28:614–620
Casha AR, Camilleri L, Manche A, Gatt R, Attard D, Gauci M, Camilleri-Podesta MT, Grima JN (2015) External rib structure can be predicted using mathematical models: an anatomical study with application to understanding fractures and intercostal muscle function. Clin Anat 28:512–519
Acknowledgments
The authors sincerely thank Dr. Akihito Usui from the Department of Diagnostic Image Analysis, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan, for providing us with CT figures illustrating lumbar ribs.
Conflict of interest
The authors report no conflicts of interest
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Aly, I., Chapman, J.R., Oskouian, R.J. et al. Lumbar ribs: a comprehensive review. Childs Nerv Syst 32, 781–785 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00381-015-2904-2
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00381-015-2904-2