Morphometric Assessment of Pedicles of Indian Adult Lumbar Vertebrae: A Cross Sectional Study

Introduction: Lumbar vertebral column is exposed to various kinds of stress during locomotion. In erect posture weight transmitted through posterior part including pedicles. This causes deformities of this region as the age advances in many individuals. Proper correction of deformity is challenging. There have been advances in spinal fusion procedures and interspinous implantation of devices including pedicle screws. Use of unsuitable dimensions of screw may cause problem of destruction of pedicle. Correct metricular data of pedicle is necessary for choice of appropriate screw size. Aims and Objectives: 1) To measure the various dimensions in Indian adult human lumbar vertebral pedicles. 2) To prepare data of lumbar pedicles useful in various surgical procedures. Material and Methods: A Cross-sectional study was done on 45 dry, fully ossified human lumbar vertebral sets. The bones were grouped into typical (L1 to L4) and atypical (L5) lumbar vertebrae. The dimensions measured included pedicle length, height, thickness, axial length, transverse and sagittal angles. ‘Digital Vernier Caliper’ and Protractor were used. The data was analyzed statistically. Results: The mean length, height and thickness of typical vertebral pedicles increases gradually. In atypical (L5), pedicle thickness suddenly increases. The transverse angle of pedicle elevated gradually from L1 to L4 but at L5, it abruptly increased. Conclusions: The study reported significant differences in several dimensions of pedicles of typical as well as atypical lumbar vertebrae. These differences should be considered by neurosurgeons. KEY WORDS: Anatomy; Dimensions; Lumbar Vertebral Pedicle; Pedicle Screw Fixation.