Morphometric Analysis of Lumbar Vertebral Pedicles According to Age and Gender

PURPOSE OF THE STUDY: A thorough understanding of pedicle morphometrics is crucial for selecting suitable pedicle screws and their optimal trajectory in spinal stabilization. This study aims to provide a detailed morphometric analysis of lumbar pedicles in a Turkish population from the Aegean region, considering gender and age based on CT scans. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This retrospective study analyzed CT scans of 500 lumbar vertebrae from 100 healthy individuals (50 females, 50 males) residing in the Aegean region of Turkey. RESULTS: Our study found that pedicule axial length (PAL), pedicle width (PW), pedicle height (PH), and foramen vertebra transverse diameter (FTD) parameters were significantly higher in males than in females (p < 0.05). In both genders, from L1 to L5, there was an increase in PW (left and right), FTD, pedicle transverse angle (PTA) (left and right), and a decrease in pedicle length (PL) (left and right) and foramen vertebra sagittal diameter (FSD). PTA right values were significantly lower than PTA left values at L1 and L2 levels in females and at L2 and L3 levels in males (p < 0.05). However, there were no statistically significant differences between the left and right mean measurements for the remaining parameters in both genders (p > 0.05). DISCUSSION: Recent studies indicate significant racial and gender variations in pedicle morphometry, making gender a crucial factor in screw size selection. Our study found notable gender-based differences in PAL, PH, PW, PTA, and PSA. Prior research showed no significant asymmetry in left and right pedicle dimensions. Consistent with these findings, our study observed symmetrical left-right pedicle measurements in both genders, with the exception of PTA. CONCLUSIONS: Gender and race differences had a significant impact on the characteristics of pedicle morphometry. This study demonstrates significant gender-based differences in lumbar vertebral morphometric parameters, independent of age. The presented morphometric data provide valuable reference information for the local population and contribute to the expanding body of knowledge in the field.