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Differences in femoral morphology among the Orientals and Caucasians: a comparative study using plain radiographs

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Abstract

The purpose of this study was to identify the differences in femoral dimensions among Caucasian and Oriental populations. A total of 268 femora were collected from China, Japan, Korea, Taiwan and the United States. Firstly, the dimensional parameters for measuring femur were identified. These were initially measured on bone specimens to determine the methodology, followed by measuring the same parameter on plane radiographs of the same bone specimen using a board, and digitized with the aim of verifying the repeatability and reliability of the data. Data were analyzed using ANOVA, paired students t test and Pearson’s correlation analysis. The results revealed that Caucasian femora are significantly larger in maximum bone length (BL), head-neck length (HNL), lesser trochanter width and the total width of the distal epiphysis (Wdf). The Beijing femora were found to be the longest and the Japanese femora constituted the shortest bone lengths and smallest angle alpha among the Oriental populations. A strong correlation was observed between Wdf and HD, HNL, Wmc and Wlc in all the populations; however, correlation between Wdf and BL was mild. The angle alpha showed no correlation with BL. This study generated a large database of femoral geometry, which may help pharmaceutical companies to design orthopedic implants for Oriental populations.

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Acknowledgments

We are indebted to the following collaborators without them this research would never have been completed. Prof. Akio Inoue from department of Orthopedic Surgery, Kurume University School of Medicine, Japan, Prof. T.K. Lui, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, National Taiwan University, Taiwan, Prof. Young-Min Kim, and Prof. Myung-Sang Moon, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Seoul National University, and Catholic University Medical College, Korea, Prof. Xian-Zheng Luo, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Beijing Friendship Hospital, China, Prof. Kerong Dai, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Shanghai Second Medical University, China.

We are also thankful to Dr. Zhenyu Wang and Dr. Ai Guo from China, Dr. Jinn Lin and Gau-Tan Lin from Taiwan, Dr. Young-Koo Kang from Korea and Dr. Naoto Shiba and Dr. Kenichiro Miyazaki from Japan.

We are also grateful for Ilka Lorenzen-Schmidt, Stephen Kraker and Veronika Bonin from Germany who were summer students and devoted their time to this project.

Funding

This project was funded by grant from DePuy Company, USA.

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Author notes

  1. Najam Siddiqi

    Present address: Department of Anatomy, National University of Science and Technology, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Al-Tareef, PO Box 391, Zip Code: 321, Sohar, Sultanate of Oman

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Biomechanics Laboratory, School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, 720 Rutland Avenue, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA

    Najam Siddiqi, Antonio Valdevit & E. Y. S. Chao

  2. SEA Limited, 7001 Buffalo Parkway, Columbus, OH, 43229, USA

    Antonio Valdevit

  3. Southern California, USA

    E. Y. S. Chao

Authors
  1. Najam Siddiqi
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  2. Antonio Valdevit
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  3. E. Y. S. Chao
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Correspondence to Najam Siddiqi.

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Siddiqi, N., Valdevit, A. & Chao, E.Y.S. Differences in femoral morphology among the Orientals and Caucasians: a comparative study using plain radiographs. Anat Sci Int 94, 58–66 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12565-018-0450-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12565-018-0450-1

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