Acta Medica Okayama 80巻 3号
2026-06 発行

Evaluation of Bone Mineral Density and Bone Structure in the Cervical and Thoracic Spine

Aoyama, Shingo Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Kindai University Hospital
Ikeda, Terumasa Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Kindai University Hospital
Nango, Nobuhito Ratoc System Engineering Co., Ltd.
Goto, Koji Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Kindai University Hospital
Publication Date
2026-06
Abstract
Dropped head syndrome, which has been increasingly reported in recent years, requires correction of cervical kyphosis and may require long-range fixation extending from the cervical to the thoracic spine. Assessing vertebral bone structure may be important for preventing instrumentation failure in the upper thoracic spine, which is a potential complication of surgery. In this study, we evaluated volumetric bone mineral density, trabecular bone porosity, and cortical calcification in the cervical and upper thoracic spine using three-dimensional (3D) trabecular structure measurement software. The study included 79 patients with cervical spine disorders who underwent various surgical procedures and preoperative imaging, including dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry and computed tomography (CT) scans from C3 to Th3. Quantitative analysis using specialized software assessed volumetric bone mineral density and trabecular and cortical bone parameters, and statistical analyses were performed to examine correlations between imaging metrics and indicators of bone fragility. Two-dimensional CT evaluation revealed different trends between cancellous and cortical bone in the cervical and thoracic spine, suggesting that detailed 3D evaluation may also be important.
Document Type
Original Article
Keywords
cervical spine
volumetric bone mineral density
three-dimensional trabecular structure measurement
ISSN
0386-300X
NCID
AA00508441
JaLC DOI
DOI:
80_3_203.pdf 5.97 MB