The earliest radiological finding in Rickets is?
A. Narrowing or absence of the normal zone of calcification
B. Widening and lengthening of the growth plate
C. Splaying and cupping of the metaphyses
D. Bowing of legs
Ans. B.
Widening and lengthening of the growth plate
KEY IMAGING FEATURES OF RICKETS
• Widening of the physis (growth plate)
• Irregular metaphyseal margins (ill-defined zone of
provisional calcification)
• Splaying and cupping of the metaphyses and
costochondral junctions (rachitic rosary)
• Bowing of the extremities
• Osteopenia
• Findings typical of osteomalacia.
The normal ordered maturation and mineralization of cartilage cells becomes disrupted. This occurs predominantly in
the hypertrophic zone, where the number of chondrocytes is seen to increase and the normal columnar formation of
the cells is lost. There is a continued building up of cells, resulting in the earliest radiographic finding of rickets— widening and lengthening of the growth plate.
KEY IMAGING FEATURES OF RICKETS
• Widening of the physis (growth plate)
• Irregular metaphyseal margins (ill-defined zone of
provisional calcification)
• Splaying and cupping of the metaphyses and
costochondral junctions (rachitic rosary)
• Bowing of the extremities
• Osteopenia
• Findings typical of osteomalacia.
The normal ordered maturation and mineralization of cartilage cells becomes disrupted. This occurs predominantly in
the hypertrophic zone, where the number of chondrocytes is seen to increase and the normal columnar formation of
the cells is lost. There is a continued building up of cells, resulting in the earliest radiographic finding of rickets— widening and lengthening of the growth plate.
