Morphometric analysis of thoracic vertebrae on computed tomography images

MORPHOMETRIC ANALYSIS OF THORACIC VERTEBRAE ON COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY IMAGES ABSTRACT Surgical interventions are employed in conditions where the structural and functional integrity of the thoracic vertebrae is compromised due to various causes. In cases where surgical treatment is considered, knowledge of the regional anatomy and a detailed analysis of bone structures with respect to age and sex become essential. Accordingly, in the present study, comprehensive radiological morphometric parameters of all thoracic vertebrae (T1–T12) were evaluated. Our study was conducted retrospectively on thoracic MDCT images. A total of 1560 thoracic vertebrae (T1–T12) from 130 individuals (61 females, 69 males) aged 18–90 years were included. The body mass index (BMI) of all participants was calculated and classified into four groups: underweight (<18.5), normal (18.5–24.9), pre-obese (25.0–29.9), and obese (30.0–39.9). Subjects were also stratified into six age groups: 18–34, 35–44, 45–54, 55–64, 65–74, and ≥75 years. The following thoracic vertebral parameters were measured: in sagittal sections, right and left pedicle heights, anterior and posterior vertebral body heights, and the angle formed between the superior endplate of the vertebral body and a horizontal line; in axial sections, right and left pedicle widths, right and left pedicle transverse angles (screw medialization angles), maximum screw lengths, and sagittal and transverse diameters of the vertebral foramen. Measurement results were analyzed according to age groups, BMI groups and sex. Overall, pedicle height, maximum screw length, and anterior and posterior vertebral body heights were found to increase progressively from T1 to T12. When differences between age and BMI groups were assessed, statistically significant variations (p<0.05) were observed only at certain vertebral levels. The pedicle transverse angle was found to decrease bilaterally from T1 to T12. Except for the pedicle transverse angle, sagittal diameter of the vertebral foramen, and sagittal angle, male subjects exhibited significantly larger measurements compared with females (p<0.05). We believe that the measurement data obtained in our study will be beneficial for clinical applications and surgical procedures in the thoracic region. Keywords: Anatomy, Computed Tomography, Morphometry, Thoracic Vertebra, Pedicle Width