Morphometric Study of the C6 and C7 Pedicle: A Computerized Tomography Analysis

Abstract

Objective: Measure the diameter and thickness of the C6 and C7 pedicles using computed tomography, to analyze the security of the act surgery and the difference between males and females. Methods: This is a retrospective study. Two hundred computerized tomography scans of the cervical spine, one hundred male and one hundred female, from the Hospital Santa Teresa Radiology sector were evaluated. The pedicle thickness was measured in the axial plane, and the height was measured in sagittal slices. The student’s t-test was used to compare differences between the sexes, and a p-value lower than 0.05 was considered significant. Results: The mean age of the individuals included in the sample was 35±9 years. The mean height of the C6 and C7 pedicles were 7.1±0.9 mm and 7.8±0.9 mm, respectively. The mean thickness of the C6 and C7 pedicles were 5.2±0.7 mm and 5.9±0.8 mm, respectively. The statistical test showed that the values were significantly lower for female patients. Conclusions: The present study demonstrated parameters that can be used and can be the rule for preoperative planning of transpedicular cervical fixation surgeries, both in C6 and C7. As it is a procedure that can cause iatrogenic damage to important structures, the screw size must be chosen with care in pre-operative planning to avoid vessel rupture or damage to adjacent nerves. Level of Evidence III; retrospective study.