Computerized tomography value measurement of the soft tissue in vertebral canal in the early stage after operation and its clinical use / 中华骨科杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To discuss the CT value measurement of the soft tissue such as sludged blood,gel foam and residual nucleus in vertebral canal at the early stage after lumbar discectomy.Methods 40 patients of lumbar disc herniation were divided into gel foam group and sludged blood group randomly.There were 22 males,18 females,with the mean age 50.6 years(ranged from 25 to 75 years).All patients underwent lumbar CT scan before operation and CT values of herniated nucleus were measured(simulating residual nucleus after operation).Same surgeon group performed posterior approach discectomy through open window in the vertebral plate.A long column roll of gel foam was placed epidurally at the site where nucleus were take out to stop bleeding in gel foam group.While in sludged blood group just douched with saline.All patients underwent lumbar CT scan one week after operation and CT values of the soft tissue in vertebral canal measured.The CT values before and after operation and between groups were compared and analyzed.Results CT values of the herniated disc of 40 patients were 43.70-66.70 HU.CT values of the soft tissue in vertebral canal of 20 patients gel foam group were(23.00?3.36)HU.Paired-samples t test of the values of herniated nucleus before operation and the gel foam showed t=12.32,P=0.00,with statistic significance.CT values of the soft tissue in vertebral canal of sludged blood group were(25.60?6.75)HU.Paired-samples t test of the values of nucleus before operation and sludged blood showed t=13.84,P=0.00,with statistic significance.Independent-samples t test of values of gel foam group and sludged blood group showed t=-0.78,P=0.46.No significant differences existed.Conclusion CT value measurement is valuable to distinguish the nature of the soft tissue in vertebral canal in clinical use.