A knee radiograph of a newborn shows an ossification centre in the distal femoral epiphysis. To further confirm that the infant was born at full term, the radiologist looks for one more epiphyseal centre, which is located in the:
- A Upper end of the fibula
- B Upper end of the tibia ✓
- C Head of the humerus
- D Head of the femur
Correct answer: B. Upper end of the tibia
Explanation
At birth the distal femoral epiphysis is consistently ossified, and the upper tibial epiphysis is usually present as well; together they serve as medicolegal evidence of a full term liveborn infant. The upper fibular centre appears around 3 to 5 years, the humeral head around the first year, and the femoral capital epiphysis around 4 to 6 months, so none of these can be present at birth.
Reference: Cunningham's Manual of Practical Anatomy, 16th ed.
High-yield for: NEET PGINI-CETNExTFMGEUSMLEPLABMRCP
Written and medically reviewed by the StethoPrep medical team.