Osteometry of the human spine at the age of maturity in the Ural region

Abstract

Aim. To reveal the patterns of the changes of osteometric characteristics of the adults living in the Ural region.
 Methods. 56 cadavers of human beings at the age of maturity were analyzed (28 women aged 21 to 55 years, and 28 men aged 22 to 60 years) being the residents of the Ural region. The scheme recommended by the Symposium on Age Periodization at the Institute of Age Physiology in 1969, was used for distribution by age groups. Osteometry and statistical method were used.
 Results. In the cervical spine, the greatest sagittal size was determined in the spinal process of the VII cervical vertebra (30.9±1.79 mm), in the thoracic spine — in the VII thoracic vertebra (41.5±2.4 mm), and in lumbar spine — in the III lumbar vertebra (36.4±0.95 mm). The frontal size of vertebral bodies increased from overlying vertebrae to underlying ones, however, the decrease in the frontal size of vertebral bodies was noted from the I thoracic to the VI thoracic vertebra, and starting from the VII thoracic vertebra its further increase was observed. The sagittal size of vertebral body increased only from the II cervical vertebra to the III lumbar one. The sagittal size of the bodies of the III–V vertebrae was within the range of 32–34 mm. The sizes of vertebral arch pedicle allow conducting the transpedicular fixation at the level of all vertebrae, but it should be taken into account that in V and VI thoracic vertebrae frontal size of arch pedicle is the least as compared to other levels. The frontal sizes of spinal canal were more than sagittal ones at the levels of all vertebrae, with the exception of atlas and the V thoracic vertebra.
 Conclusion. The results can serve as the basis for performing any surgical interventions on the spine and as the norm for evaluation of its pathological changes.