Radiographic Measurements of Normal and Spondylotic Cervical Spine in the Korean Population

With the improvement of economic conditions and medical care, the average life span has increased, thus making geriatrics an important consideration in the medical field. Degenerative changes of the cervical spine in aged are not uncommon. Also it is well known tha subjects with radiologic features of cervical spondylosis may be symptom free. On the other hand, cervical myelopathy may occur in the presence of minimal spondylosis as shown radiologically. This discrepancy between symptoms and radiologic features seems to be attributed to the differences in the initial structure of the cervical spine. The authors surveyed at random the various radiographic measurements of 300 Koreans having normal cervical spines and 120 Koreans with cervical spondylosis. The results of the survey are as follows: 1. Osteophyte was noticed more frequently at the 3 rd, 4 th and 5 th cervical vertebrae. 2. Lordosis angle was greater in spondylosis group than in normal group, which might be attributed to paravertebral muscle spasm. 3. Normal sagittal diameter of the canal decreased between C3-C6 and the narrowest was at C4 level. The sagittal diameter, on the average, was 1.5 mm shorter than in European population and 1 mm longer than Japanese. This might be attributed to the difference in the body height. 4. In the normal spine group the average interpedicular distance was greatest at the 5 th, and 6 th cervical vertebra. In the cervical spondylosis group the average interpedicular distance was greater than in normal population it was greatest at the 5 th and 6 th cervical vertebra.