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Updated: Jun 18, 2026

Precision Measurements and Parametric Models of Vertebral Endplates
Published on: September 17, 2019
Developmental steps of the human cervical spine: parameters for evaluation of skeletal maturation stages
Marcos Fabio Henriques dos Santos1, Rodrigo Lopes de Lima, Bernardo De-Ary-Pires
1Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Centro de Ciências da Saúde, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Bloco F, Cidade Universitária, Rio de Janeiro, 21941-590, Brazil.
Abstract:
The central objective of this investigation was to focus on the development of the cervical spine observed by lateral cephalometric radiological images of children and adolescents (6-16 years old). A sample of 26 individuals (12 girls and 14 boys) was classified according to stages of cervical spine maturation in two subcategories: group I (initiation phase) and group II (acceleration phase). The morphology of the cervical spine was assessed by lateral cephalometric radiographs obtained in accordance with an innovative method for establishing a standardized head posture. A total of 29 linear variables and 5 angular variables were used to clarify the dimensions of the cervical vertebrae. The results suggest that a few measurements can be used as parameters of vertebral maturation both for males and females. The aforementioned measurements include the inferior depth of C2-C4, the inferior depth of C5, the anterior height of C4-C5, and the posterior height of C5. We propose original morphological parameters that may prove remarkably useful in the determination of bone maturational stages of the cervical spine in children and adolescents.
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