ABSTRACT
Objective To measure the morphological parameters of cervical endplate of Chinese by using computed tomography (CT)scans,and to provide an accurate morphometric basis for designing and developing the cervical disc prostheses.Methods 80 healthy subjects were scanned by CT.The parameters of each cervical vertebra from C3 to C7 were measured by CT scans including upper anteroposterior length (APLu),upper center mediolateral length (CMLu),lower anteroposterior length (APLl) and lower center mediolateral length (CMLl).These parameters were compared between genders and among different vertebral levels.Results The values of APLu, CMLu,APLl and CMLl were increased with the decreasing of cervical segment (P APLu = 0.023,P CMLu = 0.007, P APLl =0.035,P CMLl < 0.001).There was statistically significant difference in morphological parameters between genders (P < 0.05).Compared with the reported data of other different populations,the statistically significant difference in morphological parameters also existed in the study.Conclusion The study provides an accurate morphological basis for designing the suitable artificial cervical disc for Chinese population.