Morphometric Analysis of Appendicular and Spinal Ventral Horn Growth -A Correlative Study in Human Foetuses.

Background: Literature showing growth pattern of cervical and lumbar enlargements of spinal cord and the limbs to which they supply and their inter-relationships do not exist in literature in human samples. Methods: Spinal cords were dissected out from 30 normal human foetuses of different gestational ages, divided into five equal groups. Mean length of arm, forearm and thigh were determined in each group. Sections obtained from cervical and lumbar enlargements were stained with hematoxylin and eosin to determine mean transverse diameters of their ventral horns in each foetal group. Results: Length of the forearm was smaller than that of the arm till third trimester when a relative spurt in growth of forearm was noticed. Conclusion: Direct correlation exhibited in growth patterns between transverse diameters of ventral horn of cervical enlargement and forelimb measurements on one hand and that of lumbar enlargement and hind limb parameters on the other hand with a spurt of growth between second and third groups of foetuses.