Clinical and radiological morphometry of posterior parts of thoracic and lumbal vertebras.

The aim of this work is to measure clinically important dimensions of thoracic and lumbal vertebras. Charts of one-hundred and seventeen patients with implanted internal fixateur on the thoracic and lumbal spine between 01.01. 2008. and 31.3.2010. at the Department for Orthopedics and Traumatology, of the Sarajevo Clinical center were retrieved, and only 14 patients, with 46 vetrtebras and 89 pedicles have had complete documentation (clearly visible measured structures on X-ray and CT scans). Digitalized antero-posterior and latero-lateral X-ray, and transversal and sagital CT scans were basic inputs for measurement of height and width of the pedicle--PH, PW, axial and vertical cortico-cortical transpedicular distances--AL, VL, and interpedicular distance--IP. The correction of enlargement on X-ray pictures was performed according to known dimensions of implants and length scale on CT scans. Enlargement of those parameters, from T1 to L5 level was from 50 to 150%. This increasing was not always linear, sometimes there was even decreasing. For instance, the IP on second and third thoracic vertebra was shorter compared to the first thoracic vertebra. Pedicles from the third to the eighth thoracic vertebra were narrower compared to the second thoracic vertebra. The importance of this work is in to analyze the mentioned dimensions by methods available to the clinician. Every other in vivo measurement is impossible because of the excessive surgical approach, while preoperative CT scanning with a great number of slices per one millimeter for this purpose is not ethical.