[CT assisted morphological study of lumbar endplate].

Area of Science:

• Anatomy
• Medical Imaging
• Biomechanical Engineering

Background:

• Lumbar prostheses require precise anatomical understanding for optimal design and clinical success.
• Existing data on lumbar endplate morphology may not fully capture variations relevant to prosthesis implantation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To quantitatively assess the anatomical structure of lumbar vertebral endplates in healthy adults.
• To provide essential anthropometric data for guiding the design and clinical application of lumbar prostheses.

Main Methods:

• Computed tomography (CT) scans were performed on sixty healthy adults.
• 3D reconstruction and measurements of endplate dimensions (sagittal diameter, coronal diameter, concavity depth, angles) were conducted using Mimics 16.0 software.
• Statistical analysis was applied to the collected anthropometric data.

Main Results:

• Lumbar endplate dimensions varied significantly between sexes and increased with vertebral level.
• Concavity depth showed minor changes across L1-L5, with males exhibiting greater depth in lower endplates.
• Sagittal and coronal concavity angles showed minimal variation with vertebral level and generally lacked significant gender differences.

Conclusions:

• The anatomical structure of lumbar endplates is complex and exhibits significant variability.
• Accurate pre-operative assessment of endplate parameters using CT is vital for successful lumbar prosthesis development and implantation.