Bone mineral density in patients with ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament in the cervical spine

While numerous studies exist quantifying the bone mineral content of the human lumber vertebrae, such information is not available for the cervical spine. This study determined the bone mineral densities of cervical vertebrae. Adult healthy human volunteers, ages ranging from 18 to 40 years, underwent quantitative computed tomography scanning of the neck. BMD data were divided according to subject weight (above and below 50th percentile, termed low and heavy mass) and gender. Low-mass subjects did not consistently have higher bone mineral density at all levels of the cervical column. Bone mineral were higher (259 ± 6 mg/cc) for females than males (247 ± 8 mg/cc); for the entire ensemble the mean density was 253 ± 9 mg/cc. Altered strength of cervical vertebrae coupled with the increased mobility of the disc at the inferior levels of the neck may explain regional biomechanical differences and subsequent physiologic effects secondary to aging. This study quantifies BMD of the human neck vertebrae and offers explanations to the biomechanical behaviors of the human cervical spine.

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Effect of Endplate Conditions and Bone Mineral Density on the Compressive Strength of the Graft–Endplate Interface in Anterior Cervical Spine Fusion

Spine ◽

10.1097/00007632-200104150-00021 ◽

2001 ◽

Vol 26 (8) ◽

pp. 951-956 ◽

Cited By ~ 110

Author(s):

Tae-Hong Lim ◽

Hee Kwon ◽

Chang-Hoon Jeon ◽

Jesse G. Kim ◽

Mark Sokolowski ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Bone Mineral Density ◽

Compressive Strength ◽

Cervical Spine ◽

Bone Mineral ◽

Spine Fusion ◽

Mineral Density ◽

Cervical Spine Fusion

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Cervical Spine Bone Mineral Density as a Function of Vertebral Level and Anatomic Location

ASME 2011 Summer Bioengineering Conference, Parts A and B ◽

10.1115/sbc2011-53698 ◽

2011 ◽

Author(s):

Eric Thorhauer ◽

William Anderst ◽

William Donaldson ◽

Joon Lee ◽

James Kang

Keyword(s):

Mechanical Properties ◽

Bone Mineral Density ◽

Cervical Spine ◽

Bone Mineral ◽

Vertebral Body ◽

Quantitative Computed Tomography ◽

Finite Element Models ◽

Mineral Density ◽

Vertebral Level ◽

Anatomic Location

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 load1,2. 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 1, 3, 4 or by measuring a large volume of trabecular bone in multiple CT scan slices 5,6. In addition to the central vertebral body, the only other BMD measurements of specific anatomical regions were performed on the endplates 2, 3.

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