Morphology of the occipital condyle and its surgical implications: Computed tomographic study

Abstract

Abstract Background: Considering the morphology of the bilateral occipital condyles is fundamental during surgical procedures of the craniovertebral junction region due to their proximity to critical neurovascular structures. This study elucidates the variant shapes of the occipital condyle in a Nigerian Tertiary Hospital. Materials and Methods: The configuration of 672 occipital condyles was retrospectively evaluated on cranial computed tomographic images of Nigerian adults (137 females and 199 males). After the study protocol was approved, these were accessed in the imaging database of the Radiology Department in a referral center. Data analysis was implemented by Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 23.0 and summarized in percentages. Gender, age group, and side comparisons were assessed using the chi-square test with significance at P < 0.05. Results: The oval shape (434, 64.6%) was the most common, followed by the kidney shape (166, 24.7%), while the round shape was rare (4, 0.6%). The shapes showed significant gender differences (P = 0.038) but were not associated with side or age (P > 0.05). Conclusion: The study highlights the different occipital condyle conformations in the population studied, emphasizing the need for radiological evaluation before surgical procedures of the posterior cranial fossa and the upper vertebral column.