Computed Tomography-Based Morphometric Analysis of the Thoracolumbar Junction in the Young Turkish Population

BACKGROUND Adult idiopathic or degenerative scoliosis is a 3-dimensional lateral curvature of the spine with a Cobb angle >10° in a skeletally mature individual. The Cobb angle is measured from the terminal vertebrae of the spinal curve to an intersecting line from the endplates. This computed tomography (CT)-based morphometric study aimed to evaluate the segmental Cobb angles of T11, T12, L1, and L2 vertebrae in 1500 healthy individuals between 20 and 39 years of age. The findings of this study can serve as a valuable resource for guiding treatment strategies and optimizing intraoperative planning in the surgical correction of posttraumatic sagittal deformities. MATERIAL AND METHODS A total of 1500 patients with normal neurological examinations, patients without pathologies related to the vertebral column, and patients who had not previously undergone surgical treatment related to the vertebral column were included in the study. Each of the 4 levels in the TLJ were measured by 2 orthopedists from CT images in the sagittal plane. RESULTS The segmental Cobb angles of T11, T12, L1, and L2 were 6.5°±4.5°, 6.5°±5.3°, 2.7°±4.8°, and 2.7°±5.7°, respectively. The global Cobb angles of T11-L2 were 3.9°±6.5°. No significant differences in sagittal alignment were observed between male and female patients. CONCLUSIONS This study provides information about the sagittal alignment of the TLJ in the young adult Turkish population.