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. 2011 Jun 20;219(3):403–409. doi: 10.1111/j.1469-7580.2011.01400.x

Table 1.

Overview of the frequency of rib anomalies in different study populations of human fetuses and children

Frequency cervical ribs (%) Other rib anomalies (%)


Study population N Overall Bilateral Unilateral right Unilateral left Absent and/or rudimentary 1st rib Absent and/or rudimentary 12th rib Lumbar rib Reference
Fetuses
 Healthy unborn* 367 1.4 40 NR NR NR 4.1 0.84 Hershkovitz (2008)
 Stillborn 728 19.2 77.9 15.0 7.1 NR NR 1.1 Bagnall et al. (1984)
 NR 136 25 70.6 8.8 20.6 NR NR 2.2 Noback & Robertson (1951)
 Deceased (no anomalies) 48 31 NR NR NR 0 3.5 10.5 Galis et al. (2006)
 NR 177 33 65 NR NR NR NR NR Meyer (1978)
 Elective abortions 199 37.7 70.7 12 17.3 1.0 12.6 1.5 This study
 Deceased (single minor anomalies) 64 42 NR NR NR 0 1.5 1.5 Galis et al. (2006)
 Deceased (multiple minor anomalies) 44 45 NR NR NR 0 4.5 7 Galis et al. (2006)
 Deceased (single major anomalies) 56 50 NR NR NR 3.5 0 0 Galis et al. (2006)
 Deceased (multiple major anomalies) 235 63 NR NR NR 3.5 1 7.5 Galis et al. (2006)
 Stillborn 715 63 73 16 11 NR 9.2 0.7 McNally et al. (1990)
Children
 < 13 years (hospital database) 2000 0.5 89 NR NR NR NR NR Southam & Bythell (1924)
 < 12 years (healthy siblings of TB patients) 25949 0.5 NR NR NR NR NR NR Menárguez Carretero & Campo Muñoz (1967)
 < 13 years (hospital database) 1000 1.2 83 0 17 NR NR NR Davis & King (1939)
 ≤ 1 year (deceased myelomeningoceles patients) 112 4.5 NR NR NR NR 21.4 1.8 Naik et al. (1978)7
 ≤ 14 years (infectious disease patients) 200 4.5 78 11 11 NR NR NR Schumacher et al. (1992)
 ≤ 18 years (asthma and infectious disease patients) 881 6.1§ NR NR NR NR 5.3 0.9 Merks et al. (2005)
 ≤ 18 years (tumor patients) 906 8.6§ NR NR NR NR 6.6 0.9 Merks et al. (2005)
 ≤ 21 years (tumor patients) 1000 20.4 79 10 11 NR 3.6 NR Schumacher et al. (1992)

All data were collected through radiological examinations unless stated otherwise.

NR, not reported; TB, tuberculosis.

*

Data collected using 3D ultrasound.

Data collected using alizarin red staining.

Data collected using silver staining.

§

Combining cases with cervical ribs and transverse apophysemegaly as the latter can be considered a small cervical rib that fused with the vertebral body (Redenbach & Nelems, 1998).