Measurement of lumbar spinal canal by computed tomography in Korean adults

ABSTRACT

The size of spinal canal is mesured to detect the lumbar spinal stenosis syndrome and expanding intraspinaltumors by CT. This study was desinged for taking accurate measurement of the normal lumbar spinal canal in Koreanadults. The anteroposterior diameter, interpediculate distance and cross-sectional area of lumbar spinal canalwere measured in 110 normal adults. The results were as follows; 1. The window center that showed identical valueconsistent with actual measurement of phantom was between + 160HU and + 240HU and the window width was below +300HU. 2. In anteroposterio diameter, upper part of the canal was larger value than that of middle and lowerparts, but in interpediculate distance, lower part of the canal revealed larger value than that of upper andmiddle parts. There was no significant difference in cross-sectional area. 3. All measurements male were largerthan those of female at all levels of the spinal canal and 42 measurements(58%) were significant statisstically.4. Compared with Americans, Korean showed lower value in anteriopsterior diameter and cross-sectional area buthigher value in interpediculate distance. 5. Above results should contribute to making an another criteria fordiagnosing the lumbar spinal stenosis in Koreans.