OBJECTIVETo construct digitized three-dimensional models of the sacrum of women of Uygur and Han nationalities in Xinjiang and assess their value in anatomical studies.

METHODSNinety Uygur women and 90 Han women of child-bearing age in Xinjiang were recruited. Digitized three-dimensional reconstruction was used to construct the sacrum models for morphological study and measurement of the physiological indices.

RESULTSThe sacral forms of Han women were consistent with the standard anatomical descriptions. Of the Uygur women, 57 (63.3%) showed a standard type of the sacrum, 6 (6.7%) had 4 pairs of sacral foramens, 9 (10%) had 5 pairs of sacral foramens, and 18 (20%) had sacrococcygeal joint abnormalities. There were significant differences in sacral morphologies between the two nationalities (P<0.05). The depths of the sacrum foramen and sacral hiatus were significantly greater in Uyghur women than in Han women (P<0.05). Only a minor proportion of the cases had nonstandard sacral types, found only in Uygur women.

CONCLUSIONSUygur and Han women of child-bearing age in Xinjiang have morphological and anatomical differences of the sacrum, which should be considered in clinical practice.