Determining the normative values of the dimensions of the lumbal spinal canal and medulla spinalis by MRI in the pediatric age group

Knowing the dimensions of the canalis vertebralis and medulla spinalis is of great importance in the presence and diagnosis of various diseases. Regarding these anatomical structures in the pediatric age group; these measures can be used to evaluate the severity of the disease and the response to treatment, to determine the methods to be used in treatment, and to monitor child development in diseases that occur at birth or after birth. Many imaging methods can be used to measure the dimensions of the canalis vertebralis and medulla spinalis structures. Among these methods, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) method is more advantageous than other imaging methods in imaging the lumbar region. In this study, male and female individuals aged 1-18 years who had lumbar spine MRI in the Picture Archiving and Communication Systems (PACS) program of Fırat University Hospital were evaluated retrospectively. Patients with signs of vertebral operation, scoliosis, lumbar disc herniation, spinal stenosis, spina bifida, mass lesion, demyelinating disease and dysraphism were not included in the study. In the current study, both soft tissue solubility and bone structures MRI method was used, which allows measurement in different planes where it can be examined. The study was performed on 432 pediatric age group healthy individuals of different genders. The anterior posterior dimensions of the canalis vertebralis and medulla spinalis in the axial and sagittal cross-sections of these individuals were measured at the level of the lumbar region 1 (L1), L2, L3, L4 and L5 corpus vertebrae, and the values obtained were statistically evaluated. As a result, when we compared the axial and sagittal plane values of canalis vertebralis diameters of 16, 17 and 18 year old healthy boys and girls in our measurements, a statistically significant difference was found in L4 and L5 levels for 16 years of age and L3, L4 and L5 levels for 17 and 18 years old. No statistically significant differences was found when the male-female values in the other age groups were compared. Keywords: Medulla spinalis, MRI, Lumbar vertebral canal