Original Article

EVALUATION OF THE CRANIOCERVICAL JUNCTION OF THE ADOLESCENT PATIENTS WITH CONGENITAL SPINAL DEFORMITY VIA COMPUTERIZED TOMOGRAPHY

  • Mehmet Bülent BALIOGLU
  • Yunus ATICI
  • Akif ALBAYRAK
  • Deniz KARGIN
  • Yunus Emre AKMAN
  • Mehmet Akif KAYGUSUZ

Received Date: 11.12.2014 Accepted Date: 18.03.2015 J Turk Spinal Surg 2015;26(2):109-114

Aim:

Analysis of the craniocervical junction of adolescent patients with congenital spine deformities with computed tomography (CT) was planned.

Materials and Methods:

23 adolescent patients (15 females and 8 males) with congenital spine pathology and CT of the cervical region were evaluated retrospectively. The mean age was 18.4 years (10-19 years). Basion-axis interval (BAI), basion-dens interval (BDI), Powers ratio, atlanto-occipital interval (AOI), atlantodental interval (ADI) and posterior atlantodental interval (PADI) were measured in CT. Results were compared according to gender, presence or absence of atlantoaxial anomalies and inraspinal anomalies. Mann-Whitney U test was used for comparisons between groups.

Results:

The median, minimum and maximum values measured by CT were calculated in all patients. In CT, BAI was found as 2.5 mm (0-7.4 mm), BDI was found as as 4.0 mm (2-7.5 mm), Powers ratio was found as 0.76 (0.63-0.88), AOI was found as 1.2 mm (0-2.8 mm), ADI was found as 1.5 mm (0-3.1 mm) and PADI was found as 17.5 (14.6-23 mm). AOI was found to be significantly different in the patients with congenital anomalies in atlantoaxial junction when compared to the patients without congenital anomalies (P=0.015). In patients with intraspinal anomalies, BDI showed statistically significant differences (P = 0.008).

Conclusion:

Being high values of BDI in the patients with AOI and intraspinal anomalies in the presence of atlantoaxial pathology compared to those without could be important when a treatment for craniocervical junction in the adolescent cases accompanied by congenital spinal deformity. The larger number of patients for craniocervical junction is needed for comprehensive detailed studies.

Keywords: Congenital spinal deformity, craniocervical junction, computed tomography, atlantoaxial interval