Computerised Tomography based Morphometry of Sub-Axial Cervical Vertebrae and Its Clinical Implications

Aim: To study the anthropometry of sub axial cervical vertebrae and discuss its implications in cervical spine surgery in the Indian population. Materials and Methods: The study was conducted on 50 typical (C3-C6) cervical vertebrae using computerised tomography. Analysis: Mean and standard deviation of the parameters taken into account were analysed. The comparison of dimensions of the right and left sides were performed using Students t-test. Results: The morphometric analysis of the cervical vertebrae showed that in comparison with other population, the mean height and transverse diameters of the vertebral body were larger but antero-posterior diameter was less, making the vertebral bodies in Indians transversely larger. Conclusion: The present study would help during surgery of the cervical spine. The data would also be help in the designing of better implants.