Clinical significance of occurrence of osteophytes and its effect on sagittal diameter of the cervical spinal canal in indian population: morphometric and radiological analysis of cervical spinal canal.

ABSTRACT

Backgroud Osteophyte occurrence in cervical vertebral column is leading cause of cervical spondylosis. The aim of the present study was to estimate the average anatomical changes in cervical vertebral column due to occurrence of osteophytes and changes in the sagittal diameters of the cervical vertebral canal in Indian population to establish a clue to the underlying causes of the neck pain of unknown etiology. Methods: We dissected the cervical part of the vertebral column of 50 human adult cadavers (25 males and 25 females) and obtained 200 plain X-rays of lateral view of cervical spine of living patients (100 males and 100 females) for both morphometric and radiological analyses. Results: We found posterior osteophytes more frequently than anterior. The highest frequency of posterior osteophytes was found in the fifth cervical vertebra and of anterior osteophytes in the sixth cervical vertebra. The mean sagittal diameter of the cervical vertebral canal of cadavers ranged from 29.6 mm at C1 to 15.2 mm at C7 in males and 26.6 mm at C1 to 14.5 mm at C7 in females. The mean sagittal diameters of the cervical spinal canal in lateral radiograph of the cervical spine were ranged from 20.7 mm at C1 to 14.4 mm at C7 in males and from 19.9 mm at C1 to 13.4 mm at C7 in females. In general the sagittal diameters in female were less than that of male at all vertebral levels. The canal-body ratio at all vertebral levels was found to be less than 0.8 and was significant to develop cervical spondylotic myelopathy.Conclusion: This study has shown the effects of occurrence of osteophytes in cervical vertebra column and its impact on cervical spondylotic myelopathy.