Multispiral computerized tomography (CT) of the lumbar segment of the spine in 70 patients of both genders aged 25–74 years, along with use of specialist software were used to study a number of morphoscopic and morphometric characteristics of the intervertebral foramina (IVF). Comparative analysis of the resulting data was performed between IVF in different areas and in subjects of different genders. Four types of IVF were found: elliptical, reniform, pyriform, and teardrop. The frequencies of the different types of IVF were determined. The main morphometric parameters were measured: the height of the interval between the bodies of neighboring vertebrae at the level of the IVF; the height of the IVF; the distance from the superior margin of the pedicle of the vertebra beneath to the spinal nerve; the superior and inferior diameters of the IVF; the area of the IVF; and the area of the access zone (reserve space) for transforaminal endoscopic access to structures in the vertebral canal. Decreases in all parameters were seen from the upper lumbar segments to the lumbosacral junction. These results may be useful as indicators of the normal range in the diagnosis of foraminal stenosis and in planning endoscopic transforaminal access to structures of the lumbar segment of the spine and vertebral canal.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
References
E. A. Anisimova, O. L. Emkuzhev, N. O. Chelnokova, et al., “Topogra phical variability in the sizes and shapes of intervertebral foramina of the lumbar segment of the vertebral column,” Med. Nauki, No. 4 (36), 20–30 (2015).
G. E. Trufanov, MRI and CT Anatomy of the Brain and Spine (an atlas of images), ELBI-SPb, St. Petersburg (2006).
M. T. Al-Hadidi, J. H. Abu-Ghaida, D. H. Badran, et al., “Magnetic resonance imaging of normal lumbar intervertebral foraminal height,” Saudi Med. J., 24, 736–741 (2003).
G. Cinotti, P. De Santis, I. Nofroni, et al., “Stenosis of lumbar intervertebral foramen: anatomic study on predisposing factors,” Spine, 27, 223–229 (2002).
G. D. Cramer, J. A. Cantu, R. D. Dorsett, et al., “Dimensions of the lumbar intervertebral foramina as determined from the sagittal plane magnetic resonance imaging scans of 95 normal subjects,” J. Manipul. Physiol. Ther., 26, 160–170 (2003).
B. Duthey, Background Paper 6.24 Low Back Pain, World Health Organization (2013).
T. Hasegawa, H. S. An, V. M. Haughton, et al., “Lumbar foraminal stenosis: critical heights of the intervertebral discs and foramina. A cryomicrotome study in cadavera,” J. Bone Joint Surg. Am., 77, 32–38 (1995).
T. Iwata, K. Miyamoto, A. Hioki, et al., “In vivo measurement of lumbar foramen during axial loading using a compression device and computed tomography,” J. Spinal Disord. Techn., 26, 177–182
L. G. Jenis and H. S. An, “Spine update. Lumbar foraminal stenosis,” Spine, 25, 389–394 (2000).
L. G. Jenis and H. S. An, “Spine update. Lumbar foraminal stenosis,” Spine, 25, 389–394 (2000).
Y. Kaneko, M. Matsumoto, H. Takaishi, et al., “Morphometric analysis of the lumbar intervertebral foramen in patients with degenerative lumbar scoliosis by multidetector-row computed tomography,” Eur. Spine J., 21, 2594–2602 (2012).
K. Konstantinou and K. M. Dunn, “Sciatica: review of epidemiological studies and prevalence estimates,” Spine, 33, 2464–2472 (2008).
T. W. O’Neill, E. V. McCloskey, J. A. Kanis, et al., “The distribution, determinants, and clinical correlates of vertebral osteophytosis: a population based survey,” J. Rheumatol., 26, 842–848 (1999).
Y. Otsuka, H. S. An, R. S. Ochia, et al., “In vivo measurement of lumbar facet joint area in asymptomatic and chronic low back pain subjects,” Spine, 35, 924–928 (2010).
P. Simon, A. A. Espinoza Orias, G. B. Andersson, et al., “In vivo topographic analysis of lumbar facet joint space width distribution in healthy and symptomatic subjects,” Spine, 37, 1058–1064 (2012).
J. M. Spivak, F. J. Kummer, D. Chen, et al., “Intervertebral foramen size and volume changes in low grade, low dysplasia isthmic spondylolisthesis,” Spine, 35, 1829–1835 (2010).
K. Sugisaki, H. S. An, A. A. Espinoza Orias, et al., “In vivo three-dimensional morphometric analysis of the lumbar pedicle isthmus,” Spine, 34, 2599–2604 (2009).
S. Watanabe, N. Inoue, T. Yamaguchi, et al., “Three-dimensional kinematic analysis of the cervical spine after anterior cervical decompression and fusion at an adjacent level: a preliminary report,” Eur. Spine J., 21, 946–955 (2012).
N. Yoshimura, “Epidemiology of osteoarthritis in Japan: the ROAD study,” Clin. Calcium, 21, 821–825 (2011).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
Translated from Morfologiya, Vol. 151, No. 2, pp. 82–87. March–April, 2017.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Bulyshchenko, G.G., Gaivoronskii, A.I. & Gaivoronskii, I.V. Morphoscopic and Morphometric Characteristics of Intervertebral Foramina in the Lumbar Segment of the Spine. Neurosci Behav Physi 48, 582–587 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11055-018-0603-7
Received:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11055-018-0603-7