Morphoscopic and morphometric characteristics of the LV-SI intervertebral disc in young and middle-aged individuals

Objective: to study the morphoscopic and morphometric characteristics of the L_V-S_I intervertebral disc according to magnetic resonance imaging. Materials and methods. The analysis of magnetic resonance imaging of 90 patients (66 men, 24 women) who did not have diseases of the lumbar spine was performed. Various morphometric parameters of the intervertebral disc (IVD) and nucleus pulposus (NP) at the L_V-S_I level were measured using software for processing images created on an MRI machine. The obtained data were compared between men and women, asthenics, normosthenics, hypersthenics and young (from 18 to 44 years old) and middle-aged (from 45 to 60 years old) people. In addition, morphoscopic characteristics were studied: the shape of the IVD and NP in the axial plane. Results. It was found that in normal IVD L_V-S_I is most often represented by elliptical (54,5%) less often kidney-shaped (45,5%) forms. Normally, the NP has an oval (57,8%) and kidney-shaped (42,2%) shape. It was shown that in men, the dorsal height of the IVD, its width, anteroposterior size, square as well as the longitudinal-transverse index of the NP were significantly higher. It has been proven that there are no significant differences in the shape of the IVD between asthenics, normo- and hypersthenics, while the height of the IVD in the center, its ventral, dorsal heights and most lateral IVD height are significantly greater in hypersthenics. It has been proved that the kidney-shaped form of NP was significantly more common in asthenics, and the oval form - in hypersthenics, while the morphometric parameters of NP did not significantly differ between extreme body types. A tendency to a decrease in IVD height in middle-aged people compared to young people was shown. Conclusion. The results obtained are necessary when planning the operation, as well as for the manufacture of rigid implants and artificial discs for arthroplasty and interbody fusion.

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