Timing of fusion of the ischiopubic ramus from dry bone observations

Assessing the fusion of the ischiopubic synchondrosis using predictive modeling

“…Finally Grissom et al () report fusion being complete by 5–12 years irrespective of sex in a North American sample using computed tomography. Interestingly our results of an Australian population from Queensland (North Eastern Australia) are most similar to the study of dry bones by Cardoso et al () with males having an older age of fusion than females, despite the maximum age being estimated from logistic regression due to only two samples falling in the active fusion stage in the Portuguese dry bone study. Our results report older ages of fusion than reported by Flecker () in a similar Australian population, however it is not possible to determine whether this difference is due to differences in the imaging technology used where computed tomography allows a higher degree of accuracy in discriminating active fusion from complete fusion compared to plain radiography, whether the difference is due to secular change in maturation, and/or whether the difference is due to geographic population differences possibly due to variance in socioeconomic status between the States of Australia.…”

“…Despite the diversity in study design in the reported timing of fusion of the IPS, our results demonstrate similar times of fusion of 4–9 years in girls and 7–13 years in boys compared to studies of Victorian Australian, Portuguese and North American populations (Cardoso et al, ; Flecker, ; Grissom et al, ). Flecker in 1932 describes the fusion of the ischiopubic synchondrosis to have occurred from 3 to 11 and 5 to 11 years of age in Australian (Victoria) males and females, respectively, using plain radiographs.…”

“…Flecker in 1932 describes the fusion of the ischiopubic synchondrosis to have occurred from 3 to 11 and 5 to 11 years of age in Australian (Victoria) males and females, respectively, using plain radiographs. Cardoso et al () observed fused ischiopubic synchondroses between 5 and 10 years of age in females, and 7 and 13 years of age for males in a Portugal study of dry bones. Finally Grissom et al () report fusion being complete by 5–12 years irrespective of sex in a North American sample using computed tomography.…”

“…The ischiopubic synchondrosis then is the temporary hyaline cartilaginous joint between the ischial ramus and inferior pubic ramus, which transforms into a bony synostosis in early childhood. Reported timings of closure of the ischiopubic synchondrosis are few (Flecker, ; Herneth et al, ; Cardoso et al, ; Grissom et al, ) and difficult to consolidate due to differences in bone observation type (dry, radiographic, CT, MRI, or scintigraphy), stage classification system employed, highly variable sample demographics, such as geographic population and age ranges, and inconsistent statistical approaches between studies.…”

Variation in the fusion sequence of primary and secondary ossification centers in the human skeleton

“…Additional comparisons regarding the pattern of fusion of a different European sample can be drawn with the work of Cardoso and colleagues, who have reported on the ages of fusion of the primary and secondary ossification centers throughout the postcranial skeleton using the Luís Lopes/Lisbon collection (Cardoso, , ; Cardoso, Campanacho, Gomes, & Marinho, ; Cardoso, Pereira, & Rios, ; Cardoso & Ríos, ). Though their primary goal was to provide chronological ages that can be used for age estimation purposes, they also provide information on the sequence of fusion to which we can compare our trajectories for the European group.…”