Age- and gender-related variations in morphometric characteristics of thoracic spine pedicle: A study of 4,800 pedicles

• Published in: Clinical anatomy (New York, N.Y.) N.Y.), 2014-04, Vol.27 (3), p.441-450
• Main Authors: Morales-Avalos, Rodolfo, Leyva-Villegas, Jorge, Sánchez-Mejorada, Gabriela, Cárdenas-Serna, Marcela, Vílchez-Cavazos, Félix, Martínez-Ponce De León, Angel, Elizondo-Riojas, Guillermo, Martínez-García, Jorge, De La Garza-Castro, Oscar, Elizondo-Omaña, Rodrigo, Guzmán-López, Santos
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Age Factors; Anatomic Variation; Cross-Sectional Studies; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Sex Factors; Spinal Fusion - methods; Thoracic Vertebrae - anatomy & histology; Young Adult
• ISSN: 0897-3806; 1098-2353
• DOI: 10.1002/ca.22359

Transpedicular spinal fusion is the most commonly used fixation technique for the surgical treatment of vertebral disorders. However, the instrumentation of the thoracic spine using this technique continues to be controversial. The objective of the present study was to determine the morphometric characteristics of the thoracic pedicle and to establish how these characteristics vary with gender and age. Two hundred thoracic spines (4800 thoracic pedicles) from individuals of known gender and age were analyzed (in accordance with the order of vertebrae). The spines were divided into six groups according to age and gender. The horizontal and vertical diameters of the thoracic pedicle were determined for each piece. The mean and standard deviation of each variable were determined, and differences between age groups for each gender were evaluated using parametric correlation tests. The pedicle diameters of men and women differed significantly for most groups (P