AI-Driven 3D Virtual Modeling Reveals Multidimensional Rib Growth Dynamics
Presenter Status
Undergraduate Student
Abstract Type
Clinical Research
Primary Mentor or Principal Investigator
Richard Schwend, MD
Presentation Type
Poster
Start Date
19-5-2026 12:00 PM
End Date
19-5-2026 1:00 PM
Abstract Text
Hypothesis: Pediatric rib growth follows predictable, age-dependent geometric trajectories that drive thoracic volume growth.
Design: Retrospective cross-sectional morphometric analysis of pediatric thoracic CT scans.
Introduction: Normal thoracic development depends on coordinated changes in rib shape, height, length, width, spatial orientation, and volume. Defining the timing and relative contribution of these multidimensional rib parameters across childhood provides an understanding for normal thoracic development and disorders of chest wall growth.
Methods: Chest CT scans from 180 children aged 0–18 years, with 10 subjects per one-year age group, were analyzed. Ribs were segmented using an AI-based segmentation model, followed by a custom three-dimensional modeling pipeline to extract inner, mid, and outer rib lengths; rib height; average rib width; cross-sectional and flat areas; slant angle; and rib volume (cm³). Age-dependent growth trajectories were modeled across childhood, and the relative ages at which rib length and width reached 50% of their adult values were quantified.
Results: Pediatric rib growth demonstrated a nonlinear, pattern with accelerated growth during early childhood and during adolescence. Using ages 16-18 years as adult reference, ribs 2-11 reached 50% of adult linear and width-based dimensions within the first 2-3 years of life, whereas cross-sectional, geometric, and volumetric parameters reached this threshold later, typically between approximately 5 and 8 years of age (Figure 1b). Sex-based differences in rib length emerged during adolescence, with males demonstrating greater rib length through maturity.
Conclusion: Pediatric rib growth is characterized by early maturation of linear dimensions followed by more prolonged development of three-dimensional geometry and volume, defining distinct phases of thoracic growth across childhood.
AI Usage: After data collection, statistical analyses were performed with assistance from ChatGPT (version 5.2). All analyses and interpretations were subsequently reviewed and independently confirmed by a qualified statistician.
AI-Driven 3D Virtual Modeling Reveals Multidimensional Rib Growth Dynamics
Hypothesis: Pediatric rib growth follows predictable, age-dependent geometric trajectories that drive thoracic volume growth.
Design: Retrospective cross-sectional morphometric analysis of pediatric thoracic CT scans.
Introduction: Normal thoracic development depends on coordinated changes in rib shape, height, length, width, spatial orientation, and volume. Defining the timing and relative contribution of these multidimensional rib parameters across childhood provides an understanding for normal thoracic development and disorders of chest wall growth.
Methods: Chest CT scans from 180 children aged 0–18 years, with 10 subjects per one-year age group, were analyzed. Ribs were segmented using an AI-based segmentation model, followed by a custom three-dimensional modeling pipeline to extract inner, mid, and outer rib lengths; rib height; average rib width; cross-sectional and flat areas; slant angle; and rib volume (cm³). Age-dependent growth trajectories were modeled across childhood, and the relative ages at which rib length and width reached 50% of their adult values were quantified.
Results: Pediatric rib growth demonstrated a nonlinear, pattern with accelerated growth during early childhood and during adolescence. Using ages 16-18 years as adult reference, ribs 2-11 reached 50% of adult linear and width-based dimensions within the first 2-3 years of life, whereas cross-sectional, geometric, and volumetric parameters reached this threshold later, typically between approximately 5 and 8 years of age (Figure 1b). Sex-based differences in rib length emerged during adolescence, with males demonstrating greater rib length through maturity.
Conclusion: Pediatric rib growth is characterized by early maturation of linear dimensions followed by more prolonged development of three-dimensional geometry and volume, defining distinct phases of thoracic growth across childhood.
AI Usage: After data collection, statistical analyses were performed with assistance from ChatGPT (version 5.2). All analyses and interpretations were subsequently reviewed and independently confirmed by a qualified statistician.
Comments
Restricted to Title/Author List/Abstract only as requested by primary author
Poster Board Number: 10