A Morphometric Study of The Odontoid Process of Axis Vertebra in North Indian Population

Background:The axis vertebra has a unique feature called the odontoid process that sets it apart from the other cervical vertebrae.Fractures of the axis vertebra are common, and surgery to repair them is risky.Therefore, it is crucial to have a solid understanding of the anatomy before performing the surgery.The aim of this study was to measure the precise morphometric parameters of the odontoid process of the axis vertebra. Materials and Methods:To conduct this study, 50 fully ossified human axis vertebrae, of unknown gender and age, were analyzed using a cross-sectional design.Various dimensions of the odontoid process were measured, including its anterior height, anteroposterior (AP) diameter, maximum width, width, and dens axis sagittal angle.A digital vernier caliper and conventional goniometer were used for measuring different morphometry of the odontoid process.The collected data was tabulated and statistically analyzed using GraphPad Prism version 4.03. Results:In our study, we found that the average height of the odontoid process of the axis vertebra was 14.55±1.07mm, while the anteroposterior (AP) diameter was 9.98±0.85mm.The maximum width of the odontoid process was 10.10±0.82mm, and the average width was 9.16±1.00mm.Additionally, the dens axis sagittal angle was found to be 13.18±4.80degrees. Conclusions:To help surgeons avoid and minimize complications like vertebral artery injury, cranial nerve damage, and injury to other vital structures when performing any surgical or interventional procedure around the cranio-vertebral region, the present study provided us with important anatomical data on various parameters of the axis of Indian origin.