A Prospective Observational Study on Lumbar Spinal Canal Diameter, Vertebral Body Width and Pedicle Width and Height Measured in Plain X-Rays of Lumbar Spine in Normal Nepalese Adults

Abstract

Introduction: Determining the lumbar spinal canal diameter and the horizontal and vertical diameter of lumbar pedicles by using plain x-ray in different age groups, sex and ethnic groups in adult Nepalese population will simplify the transpedicular procedures in our country and can aid in making early diagnosis in persons who have lower diameters of lumbar spinal canal. Methods: The present study was conducted on 195 adult lumbar spine X-rays in the Department of Orthopedics of Civil Service Hospital. antero-posterior and lateral radiographs of lumbar spine were taken and the measurements were made for the coronal bony canal, vertebral body width and pedicle width using Vernier calipers and recorded values to the nearest tenth of a millimeter. Results: This study included 195 patients, the age range was 18 to 45 years, out of them 111 (56.9%) were male and 84 (43.1%) were female. Mean values for interpedicular distance, coronal and vertebral body width was increasing from L1 to L5 at each vertebral level. The observations showed that there is always an increase in width of lumbar pedicles proceeding from L1 to L5 levels and the width being maximum at L5 level. The observations also showed that the height of lumbar pedicles decreases as we move from L3 to L5 levels. The values obtained were compared with previous literatures, which showed similar pattern with the values of Indian population studies as compared to western population may be due to the fact that various socioeconomic, cultural and structural similarities between Nepalese and Indian population. Conclusion: Figures obtained for this population differ from other previous reports and appears to be subject to individual and racial variations. These lumbar canal and pedicle diameter of our study are similar to the measurement in the Indian population; the radiological criteria of spinal canal stenosis could be identical between these two populations.