Radiographic morphometry of intervertebral spaces of the vertebral column in health and dystrophic changes in the intervertebral disks

Abstract

Objective : to develop a radiographic morphometric procedure for estimating the sizes and shapes of intervertebral spaces in the thoracic and lumbar spine and to evaluate the status of intervertebral spaces in women in health in terms of their age and in dystrophic transformations of intervertebral disks. Material and methods . The data of a radiographic morphometric study of the sizes and forms of intervertebral spaces were analyzed in 127 women of different ages. Lateral thoracic and lumbar spondylograms performed in compliance with a number of requirements were used to estimate the sizes of anterior, middle, and posterior portions of intervertebral spaces (from T4 to L5); the magnitude of dystrophic changes in the intervertebral disks were determined applying semiquantitative methods. Results . The intervertebral space width of the lower segment was more than that of the upper one. The differences in the width of intervertebral spaces of the neighboring segments in the lower portions of the vertebral column were greater than those in its upper portions. The intervertebral spaces (T4-T12) were biconvex in shape and those in the upper lumbar segments were posterior wedgeshaped. There was no noticeable narrowing of the intervertebral spaces with age. The age group of 70 years or older showed a significant moderate increase in the height of intervertebral spaces in the middle and lower thoracic vertebral segments. In varying degrees of dystrophic intervertebral disc changes, their most pronounced manifestations were found to be accompanied by a decrease in the width of intervertebral spaces in the lower half of the vertebral column in conjunction with their normal shape being impaired. Conclusion . The sizes and shape of intervertebral spaces show a number of regularities associated with the position of a segment in the vertebral column. In the bulk of the thoracic spine, the vertebral spaces are biconvex in shape and those in the transient thoracolumbar area and in the lumbar segment were posterior wedgeshaped. The age-related changes in the sizes and shape of intervertebral spaces are associated with their slight dilatation at the age of 70 years or older, without their normal shape being impaired. When dystrophic intervertebral disk changes develop, there is a moderate narrowing of intervertebral spaces in the lower half of the vertebral column in conjunction with a wedgelike alteration in their shape.