The CT measurement of pedicle width in young-middle aged and elder patients with thoracolumbar vertebral fracture

English Keywords:Osteoporotic vertebral compression fracture  Thoracolumbar spine  Pedicle width  Bone mineral density

English Abstract:

  【Abstract】 Objectives: To observe the width and characteristics of pediclein patients with osteoporotic vertebral fracture(OVF) and younger patients with traumatic vertebral fracture(TVF). Methods: 152 patients diagnosed as OVF enrolled in our hospital from June 2012 to January 2015 were assigned in group A, the average age was 72.5±5.5 years(range, 60 to 95), the mean BMD was -3.5±0.65SD(range, -2.5 to -5.4); 192 patients diagnosed as TVF were assigned in group B at the same period, the average age was 33.5±4.6 years, the BMD of the group was not tested. The thin slice computer tomography scan and multiple planar reconstruction(MPR) were applied to measure the pedicle outer width(POW) from T11 to L5, the POW less than 5mm and less than 7mm and intersexual features were compared between two groups. Results: The POW of male patients was larger than that of female patients from T11 to L3 in both groups; POW of male patients in group A was significantly smaller than that of group B from T11 to L3; POW of female patients in group A was significantly smaller than group B from T11 to L3. There was no difference of POW at L4 and L5 in two groups, and intersexual difference was not found. Patients with POW less than 5mm accounted for 11% of the total pedicles from T11 to L3 in group A. Male patients with POW less than 5mm accounted for 5% and female patients accounted for 13% of the total pedicles in group A. Patients with POW less than 5mm accounted for 7% of the total pedicles from T12 to L2 in group A. Male patients with POW less than 5mm accounted for 5% and female patients accounted for 11% of the total pedicles in group B. POW less than 7mm in group A accounted for 53% of the total pedicles, these distributed from T11 to L4. Male patients with POW less than 7mm accounted for 39% of the pedicles, female patients accounted for 57%. POW less than 7mm in group A accounted for 14%, these distributed from T11 to L3. Male patients with POW less than 7mm accounted for 12% and female patients accounted for 19%. Conclusions: The width of pedicle in group A is significantly smaller than that in group B in thoracolumbar spine, especially from T11 to L3, female has smaller pedicle width than male.