MSCT-semiotics of vertebrae in patients with cervical spine stenosis

Introduction The number of surgical interventions on the cervical spine for stenosis has been constantly increasing. This fact proves that there is a need for careful preoperative preparation that would consider the complexity of the intervention and the age of the patients.

Purpose To substantiate the need to include the MSCT data processing algorithm of bone tissue density of vertebral bodies and arches to assess their quality for planning osteoplastic decompressive laminoplasty in patients with cervical spine stenosis due to degenerative changes.

Material and methods This single-center retrospective study investigated qualitative and quantitative characteristics of the spine with radiography and multislice computed tomography (MSCT) in 82 patients with degenerative diseases of the cervical spine and associated spinal canal stenosis (CSS).

Results and discussion The data obtained indicate a tendency for the total density of the cervical vertebrae to increase from C3 to C5 and to decrease caudally, with minimal density in C7 without signs of osteoporosis. A similar trend is characteristic of trabecular bone. The density of the osteon layer of the vertebral arch cortex differs significantly from the density of the outer and inner plates. The total density of the compact layer of the vertebral arch cortex exceeds 785.15 ± 38.4 HU.

Conclusion The data obtained justify the need to include the study of the density of vertebral bodies, vertebral arches, and its thickness in the MSCT data processing algorithm to develop a plan for surgical intervention in patients with cervical spine stenosis in order to obtain objective data on the quality of the bone.

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