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Ovine Lumbar Intervertebral Disc Degeneration Model Utilizing a Lateral Retroperitoneal Drill Bit Injury
Published on: May 25, 2017
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Morphometric Analysis of Lumbar Intervertebral Disc Height: An Imaging Study.
Konrad Bach1, Jonathan Ford2, Robert Foley2
1Department of Neurological Surgery and Brain Repair, University of South Florida, Morsani College of Medicine, Tampa, Florida, USA.
World Neurosurgery
|December 23, 2018
Summary
Lumbar disc height varies more by sex than age, with men generally having taller discs. Measurements using computed tomography scans suggest that interbody cages over 10 mm may lead to supraphysiologic restoration and complications.
Area of Science:
- Radiology and Imaging
- Orthopedic Surgery
- Spine Biomechanics
Background:
- Limited data exist on normal lumbar disc height values.
- Current methods using plain radiographs are imprecise for accurate disc height measurement.
Purpose of the Study:
- To establish normal lumbar intervertebral disc height values in healthy individuals across different age groups.
- To utilize computed tomography (CT) scans for precise disc height measurements.
Main Methods:
- Prospective collection of 240 anonymized abdominal CT scans from healthy individuals.
- Exclusion of participants with spinal pathologies.
- Measurement of disc height at anterior, center, and posterior edges in the midsagittal plane, averaged, and analyzed against age and sex.
Main Results:
- Average lumbar disc height measurements were recorded for different spinal levels (T12/L1 to L5/S1).
- Disc height was significantly smaller in women compared to men across most levels (P < 0.001), except L5/S1.
- The L4/5 level exhibited the maximum average interbody space height (8.9 ± 1.7 mm in men, 8.6 ± 1.8 mm in women).
Conclusions:
- Sex is a more significant determinant of lumbar disc height variation than age.
- Interbody cages exceeding 10 mm may result in supraphysiologic restoration, potentially increasing complication risks.
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