Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 27, 2026
Midface Hypoplasia and Cranial Base Morphology in Syndromic Craniosynostosis: A Comparative Analysis Study Using a Predictive Regression Model
Published on: November 4, 2025
Evaluation of the pediatric craniocervical junction on MDCT
John Christopher Bertozzi1, Carlos Andres Rojas, Carlos Rodrigo Martinez
1Department of Radiology, University of South Florida College of Medicine, 12901 Bruce B. Downs Blvd., MDC 17, Tampa, FL 33612, USA. jbertozz@health.usf.edu
Objective:
The purpose of our study was to establish normal values on MDCT images for the measurement of various craniocervical junction relationships in children and to address discrepancies in the literature based on radiographic values.
Materials And Methods:
Accepted methods of evaluating the craniocervical junction were used to calculate normal values in 117 normal children on MDCT images with multiplanar reconstructions. The basion-axial interval, basion-dens interval, Powers ratio, atlantodental interval, and atlantooccipital interval were measured in each patient and compared with accepted data based on radiographs.
Results:
The basion-axial interval was difficult to reproduce on MDCT images. In 97.5% of patients, the basion-dens interval was less than 10.5 mm compared with 12 mm based on data from radiographs. Separating the patient population into those in whom the os terminale was ossified and those in whom it was not revealed a difference of 2 mm in the upper limit of normal (9.5 and 11.6 mm, respectively). The Powers ratio showed no significant difference compared with data obtained using radiographs. In 97.5% of the population, the atlantodental interval was less than 2.6 mm, compared with 4-5 mm measured on radiographs. The atlantooccipital interval showed 97.5% of the population falling below 2.5 mm at any point in the joint space, compared with the previously accepted value of 5 mm.
Conclusion:
Normal values for the craniocervical junction articulations and relationships as seen on MDCT are different from the accepted ranges of normal based on radiographs. The values should be considered the normal values in the pediatric population on MDCT.
Related Concept Videos
01:27Cranial Bones: Lateral View
The temporal bone forms the lower lateral side of the skull. The temporal bone is subdivided into several regions. The flattened upper portion is the squamous portion of the temporal bone. Below this area and projecting anteriorly is the zygomatic process of the temporal bone, which forms the posterior portion of the zygomatic arch. Posteriorly is the mastoid portion of the temporal bone. Projecting...
01:14Cranial Bones: Superior and Posterior View
The frontal bone is the single bone that forms the forehead. At its anterior midline, between the eyebrows, there is a slight depression called the glabella. The frontal bone also forms the supraorbital margin of the orbit. Near the middle of this margin is the supraorbital foramen, the opening that provides passage for a sensory nerve to the forehead. The frontal bone is thickened just above each supraorbital margin,...
01:19Cranial and Spinal Meninges
Cranial Meninges
These meningeal layers cover the cranium. The dura mater is the outermost layer of cranial meninges. It is a thick and durable membrane of dense...
01:27Imaging Studies III: Computed Tomography
01:14Imaging Studies I: CT and MRI
Description of the Procedures
Computed Tomography (CT) scan:
Computed Tomography (CT) scans use X-ray technology to generate detailed images of bones, organs, and tissues. During the scan, the patient lies on a moving table...
01:10Computed Tomography
The technique was invented in the 1970s and is based on the principle that as X-rays pass through the body, they are absorbed or reflected at different levels. In the technique, a patient lies on a motorized platform while a computerized axial tomography (CAT) scanner rotates...