Cervical spinal canal body ratio in normal individuals and Stenosis with Cervical Myelopathy: A simple but novel study using a graph paper over a plain X-ray lateral view of the cervical spine

Abstract

Cervical spine spondylosis is so prevalent in almost all because it is a degenerative disease. Cervical spine spondylosis is a condition caused by the narrowing of the space required for the spinal cord and the nerve roots that pass through the spine to the rest of the body. Suspected cases or warranted cases are advised to avoid trauma or stress to prevent a dreadful complication that is myelopathy. This research is to study and assess the Cervical Spine Canal Body Ratio in healthy individuals and also in patients with myelopathy. The cervical spinal canal and body with disc space ratio are measured using lateral view plain X-ray of the cervical spine, placed over a graph paper. This test was done both in healthy individuals from the age group of twenty-five to thirty-five of female and male. Out of these, twelve patients were with cervical myelopathy. Cervical Spinal canal stenosis may be either congenital or acquired. The content of the canal that is the Spinal cord is more likely to get compromised when the canal is shallow even a minimal trauma or degenerative arthrosis can precipitate myelopathy. In healthy individuals it is unit and when <0.85 it indicates stenosis. This simple, less expensive study can be done even in a peripheral set up. The healthy Canal Body ratio is 0.97 to 1.02. In myelopathy it is about 0.8. Corresponding sagittal diameter is 18 to 21 mm in normal and 9 to 11 mm in cervical stenosis.