Quantitative computed tomography (QCT) scans have been used to estimate bone mineral density (BMD) measurements, which in turn have been shown to correlate with bone mechanical properties such as strength, stiffness and yield load. Information on the variation of BMD in the cervical spine with respect to anatomic location and vertebral level does not currently exist. This would be beneficial to vertebral instrumentation designers and to basic scientists who assign mechanical properties of bones in finite element models of the spine. Previously, bone mineral density measurements of the cervical spine have been performed almost exclusively on the central vertebral body, either by measuring trabecular BMD in a single CT slice or by measuring a large volume of trabecular bone in multiple CT scan slices. In addition to the central vertebral body, the only other BMD measurements of specific anatomical regions were performed on the endplates. The objectives of this study were first, to determine the overall BMD of cervical vertebrae C3-C7, second, to determine the BMD in specific anatomic regions within C3-C7, and third, to determine gender-based differences. The null hypotheses tested were first, that BMD does not change with vertebral level, second, that BMD is not different across anatomical regions, and third, that BMD does not differ between males and females.
展开▼
