Anteroposterior diameter of the vertebral canal in cervical region: Comparison of anatomical, computed tomographic, and plain film measurements

Senol U., Cubuk M., Sindel M., Yildirim F. B., YILMAZ S., Ozkaynak C., ...Daha Fazla

CLINICAL ANATOMY, cilt.14, sa.1, ss.15-18, 2001 (SCI-Expanded) identifier

  • Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
  • Cilt numarası: 14 Sayı: 1
  • Basım Tarihi: 2001
  • Doi Numarası: 10.1002/1098-2353(200101)14:1
  • Dergi Adı: CLINICAL ANATOMY
  • Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus
  • Sayfa Sayıları: ss.15-18
  • Anahtar Kelimeler: spinal stenosis, radiologic studies, tomography, cervical vertebrae, SPINAL STENOSIS, CORD NEURAPRAXIA, MANAGEMENT, GUIDELINES, RATIO
  • Akdeniz Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet

Özet

The purpose was to compare the computed tomographic and plain film measurements with those of anatomical specimens to determine the antero-posterior diameter of the spinal canal in cervical region. Antero-posterior diameters of 75 cervical vertebral canals (15 sets of C3-C7) were measured anatomically at two different levels. Computed tomographic and plain film measurements were also obtained at the corresponding levels. Considering anatomical measurements as the gold standard, plain film and computed tomographic measurements were statistically compared. Interobserver and intraobserver differences were also evaluated. At the uppermost pedicle levels, there was no statistically significant difference between plain films and anatomical measurements, a good correlation. However, at lowermost pedicle level there was a statistically significant difference between plain films and anatomical measurements but not between tomographic and anatomical measurements. Our results suggest that plain films can accurately estimate cervical spinal canal mid-sagittal diameter at the uppermost pedicle level and be used as a first step examination for the evaluation of cervical spinal stenoses. Clin. Anat. 14:15-18, 2001. (C) 2001 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Abstract

The purpose was to compare the computed tomographic and plain film measurements with those of anatomical specimens to determine the antero-posterior diameter of the spinal canal in cervical region. Antero-posterior diameters of 75 cervical vertebral canals (15 sets of C3-C7) were measured anatomically at two different levels. Computed tomographic and plain film measurements were also obtained at the corresponding levels. Considering anatomical measurements as the gold standard, plain film and computed tomographic measurements were statistically compared. Interobserver and intraobserver differences were also evaluated. At the uppermost pedicle levels, there was no statistically significant difference between plain films and anatomical measurements, a good correlation. However, at lowermost pedicle level there was a statistically significant difference between plain films and anatomical measurements but not between tomographic and anatomical measurements. Our results suggest that plain films can accurately estimate cervical spinal canal mid-sagittal diameter at the uppermost pedicle level and be used as a first step examination for the evaluation of cervical spinal stenoses.