Measurement Study On Vertebral Morphology Of Adult In North China Area

Objective Vertebral column is the central axis of human structure, which formed by a set of vertebrae. The vertebra can be divided into two parts: vertebral body and vertebral arch. Diseases correlating to vertebral column emerge easily along with age. The cervical syndrome and lumber spondylosis are frequently occurring illness among the special crowd who work in sitting pose in long term, such as taxi drivers and the occupations that need to bent over for example the secretary and the software engineer. With the development of vertebral surgery and biomechanics, as well as the improvement of recognition in vertebral column diseases, the overall anatomic data were needed to be provided. In this study, the continuous morphology changes of the 3rd cervical vertebra to 5th lumbar vertebra on north China adults were investigated to explore the relationship to the physiological curvature of vertebral column and area difference, sexual difference and left-and-right difference. The study aimed to add data on vertebral morphology of Chinese and provide morphological evidence for preventing and treating the diseases relating to vertebral column.Method 124 sets of dry vertebrae specimen (from 3rd cervical vertebra to 5th lumbar vertebra), inside of which 56 cases were male and 68 cases were female, were measured by electric sliding caliper with universal somatometric measurement methods. The superior, middle and inferior transverse diameters of vertebral body, the superior, middle and inferior sagittal diameters of vertebral body, the anterior, middle and posterior height of vertebral body, the transverse and sagittal diameters of vertebral foramen, the transverse,sagittal diameters and length of the pedicle ofvertebral arch were measured and vertical index of the vertebral body, transversosagittaler diameter index of the vertebral body and index of the vertebral foramen were calculated.Results 1.The superior, middle and inferior transverse diameters of cervical vertebral body of male were 25.96mm, 26.96mm and 24.78mm, of female were 23.79mm, 25.44mm and 23.15mm. That of thoracic vertebrae of male were 31.49mm, 30.09mm and 34.65mm,of female were 29.77mm, 28.21mm and 33.16mm. That of lumbar vertebrae of male were 49.91mm, 44.26mm and 52.85mm,of female were 46.39mm, 40.82mm and 48.91mm。2. The superior, middle and inferior sagittal diameters of cervical vertebral body of male were16.60mm, 15.50mm and 17.32mm, of female were 15.52mm, 14.63mm and 16.30mm. That of thoracic vertebrae of male were 26.28mm, 24.89mm and 27.18mm,of female were 23.97mm, 22.62mm and 24.82mm. That of lumbar vertebrae of male were 36.42mm,32.43mm and 36.48mm,of female were 32.34mm, 29.40mm and 32.61mm。3. The anterior, middle and posterior height of cervical vertebral body of male were13.57mm, 10.41mm and 13.99mm, of female were 13.21mm, 10.09mm and 13.33mm. That of thoracic vertebrae of male were 19.74mm, 17.27mm and 21.37mm,of female were 19.36mm, 16.81mm and 20.67mm. That of lumbar vertebrae of male were 25.76mm, 21.80mm and 26.30mm,of female were 26.48mm, 22.23mm and 26.22mm。4.The transverse and sagittal diameters of vertebral foramen, the transverse,sagittal diameters and length of the left pedicle of vertebral arch in cervical vertebrae of male were 23.02mm, 13.39mm, 6.13mm, 7.27 mm and 7.27mm, of female were 22.78mm, 13.06mm, 5.32mm, 6.74mm and 7.28mm. That of thoracic vertebrae of male were 16.17mm, 14.80mm, 6.70mm, 13.51 mm and 11.46mm, of female were 16.49mm, 14.80mm, 5.97mm, 12.39mm and 11.43mm. That of lumbar vertebrae of male were 23.40mm, 15.62mm, 13.84mm, 15.71 mm and 12.62mm,of female were 22.83mm, 16.29mm, 11.73mm, 14.83mm and 12.17mm. 5.Vertical index of the vertebral body, transversosagittaler diameter index of the vertebral body and index of the vertebral foramen in cervical vertebrae of male were 103.7, 58.9 and 58.2, of female were 101.0, 58.2 and 57.4. That of thoracic vertebrae of male were 107.9, 83.0 and 92.5,of female were 106.5, 80.0 and 90.4. That oflumbar vertebrae of male were 102.3, 73.6 and 67.2, of female were 99.3, 72.2 and 71.7. 6. There were significant sexual differences in the above measurement, and most of the values of male were larger than that of female, There were no obvious sexual differences in transverse and sagittal diameter of vertebral foramen. 7. Compared with Chengdu area and Tokyo Japan area, there were significant differences of the transverse and sagittal diameters of vertebral body and foramen between north China area and the two regions. Compared with Shiyan area, there were relative significant differences of the transverse,sagittal diameters and length of the pedicle of vertebral arch between north China and Shiyan. 8. There were no significant left-and-right differences of the transverse,sagittal diameters and length of the pedicle of vertebral arch.Conclusion 1.The morphology of vertebral body and the transverse and sagittal diameters of the pedicle of vertebral arch were related to the physiological curvature of vertebral column and the weight endurance and power transference. 2. It was disaccord in cervical region and according in thoracic and lumbar region between the shape of vertebral foramen, the length of the pedicle of vertebral arch and the profile of the corresponding spinal cord. 3. There were significant sexual differences in the transverse, sagittal diameters and height of vertebral body, and the transverse,sagittal diameters and length of the pedicle of vertebral arch, and most of the values of male were larger than that of female, and there were no obvious sexual differences in transverse and sagittal diameter of vertebral foramen. 4. There were area differences in the diameters in vertebral body, the pedicle of vertebral arch, and the vertebral foramen. 5. There were no significant left-and-right differences of the transverse,sagittal diameters and length of the pedicle of vertebral arch.