Morphometric analysis of the cervical spine of Indian population by using computerized tomography

The purpose of the present study was to measure the surgically important morphological parameters of cervical spine region of a representative sample of Indian population from the images obtained through computerized tomography (CT). Another purpose has been to compare the computed statistical mean, standard deviation and range of variation of these data with those of other Asian population and also European/American populations. With that aim, ninety five (95) CT scan data of Indian people (73 for male patients and 22 for female patients) pertaining to undeformed normal cervical spine has been collected from an Indian hospital. From these, 15 important morphological parameters have been measured. These values have been tabulated and their mean, standard deviation and range of variation have been computed. It has been found that pedicle dimensions of Indian people are smaller at almost all vertebra levels as compared to Caucasian people. Pedicle axis length for Indian people are found to be smaller at C3, C4 and C5 levels than those for other Asian people including Chinese people, but it is bigger at C6 and C7 levels. Indian people have longer measurements of pedicle length + lateral mass on an average than their other Asian counterparts at C5, C6 and C7 levels, but shorter measurements at C3 and C4 levels. The results of the present work may help in better understanding of morphological parameters of cervical spine region of Indian population. It may be further useful in designing spinal implants which would be biomechanically compatible to the anatomy of Indian people.