DOI: 10.36347/sjams.2017.v05i12.050

Pages: 5049-5056

The manubriosternal joint is a symphysis between the manubrium and the body of the sternum. The surfaces of the articulating bones have a hyaline cartilage with a fibro-cartilaginous disc between them. It is said to undergo endochondral ossification from the fifth week of intrauterine life. This ossification process is usually completed in a smaller percentage of the population. Aim: This study is intended to find out the incidence of ossification of the joint in adult Nigerians through radiological studies. Materials and Methods: Being a retrospective study, laterally projected chest X-ray radiographs of 1,000 adult Nigerians between 25-85 years of age were obtained from the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital and examined. The radiographs were categorized into six groups, each group having ten years interval. The age and sex of the individuals were got from their medical records. From the radiographs, the number that showed complete ossifications was noted. Results and Discussions: The result of the study showed that the mean age of complete ossification of the manubriosternal joint was 63.30+17.16 and 70.80+15.20 years in males and females respectively. Conclusion: It was also observed that the incidence of ossification was higher in females than males and complete ossification occurred in 128 of every 1000 Nigerian adults, which gives a 12.8% incidence.