Discriminant Function Analysis of Foramen Magnum Variables in South Indian Population: A Study of Computerised Tomographic Images

Background and Objectives. The foramen magnum as a transition area between skull and spine plays an important role as a landmark, because of its close relationship to vital structures such as the brain and spinal cord. Configuration and size of the foramen magnum play an important role for assessing...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Anatomy research international 2018, Vol.2018, p.2056291-8
Main Authors: Vinutha, S. P., Suresh, V., Shubha, R.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Discriminant analysis
Females
Gender differences
Legal medicine
Males
Medical imaging
Multivariate analysis
Neurosurgery
Physiological aspects
Population
Skull
Variables
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Summary:Background and Objectives. The foramen magnum as a transition area between skull and spine plays an important role as a landmark, because of its close relationship to vital structures such as the brain and spinal cord. Configuration and size of the foramen magnum play an important role for assessing craniovertebral relations. The objectives of the present study are to find out shape and dimensions of foramen magnum in cranial CT scans. All the variables were evaluated by using discriminant function analysis. Materials and Methods. The study sample comprised 200 CT scans (110 males and 90 females) of south Indian origin. The shapes of the foramen magnum were classified into 8 types: oval, egg, round, tetragonal, pentagonal, hexagonal, irregular (A), and irregular (B). The parameters were noted meticulously and the statistical analysis for sex comparison was made by Student’s t-test and was considered significant whenever P≤0.05. To determine the relationships between the studied parameters, Pearson correlation coefficients were calculated. Results. The foramen magnum was classified into 8 types based on shape. Commonest was oval and pentagonal was the least common type. The anteroposterior diameter, transverse diameter, circumference, and area were significantly greater in males than in females (P
ISSN:2090-2743
2090-2751
DOI:10.1155/2018/2056291