Abstract
Morphometric measurements of the thoracic and lumbar vertebrae were carried out on spinal radiographs of 150 normal women. A normal range was established for each individual vertebra. There was no change in the anterior height of the thoracic or lumbar vertebrae with age but there was a small significant decrease in the posterior height of the lumbar vertebrae with age. This is unlike the pattern seen in osteoporotics in whom a decrease in anterior height of the vertebrae is the first clinical manifestation of spinal osteoporosis. At the present time diagnosis of an osteoporotic spinal fracture is usually based on a subjective decision. Normative data for the vertebral dimensions should help improve the accuracy of diagnosis.
Original language | English (US) |
---|---|
Pages (from-to) | 189-196 |
Number of pages | 8 |
Journal | Bone and Mineral |
Volume | 4 |
Issue number | 2 |
State | Published - Jan 1 1988 |
All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes
- Surgery
- Biochemistry
- Endocrinology