Type of Article: Original Research
Year: 2016 | Volume 4 | Issue 1 | Page No. 1927-1930
Date of Publication: 29-02-2016
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.16965/ijar.2016.115
A STUDY OF RELATIVE MAGNITUDE OF COMPRESSIVE FORCES PASSING THROUGH THE CERVICAL AND UPPER THORACIC VERTEBRAE IN MAN
Komala B *.
* Department of Anatomy, BGS Global Institute of Medical Sciences, Bangaluru, Karnataka, India.
Address: Dr. Komala B, Professor and Head, Department of Anatomy, BGS Global Institute of Medical Sciences, Bangaluru, Karnataka, India. Mobile: +91-9844470491
E-Mail: kominag@yahoo.co.in
Abstract
Introduction: The vertebral bodies and intervertebral discs sustain all the vertebral compressive forces. Inferior body surface area and area of the two inferior articular facets have the quality of playing an important role in the relative magnitude of the compressive forces passing through the vertebral column through its two columns. This study has been attempted to find out the relative magnitude of the compressive forces passing through the vertebral column through its two columns so that this knowledge could be applied to explain some of the clinicopathological conditions of the spine.
Material and methods: The 6 cervical and upper 5 thoracic vertebrae of 30 human adult male columns were selected for the study. The various parameters of inferior body surface area and area of the two inferior articular facets were measured for each of the 6 cervical and upper 5 thoracic vertebrae of 30 columns.
Results: The mean inferior facet area showed a slow increase from C2 to C7 followed by a sharp decline at T1 level which gradually continued to decline till T5. The mean surface area of a single inferior articular facet area in relation to the body area showed a very slow decline from C2 to C7 level, but there was then a sharp decline at T1 level and a gradual further decline to T5 level. The percentage mean inferior body surface area showed a gradual increase from C2 to T5 vertebrae whereas percentage mean inferior articular facet area decreased from C2 to T5 vertebrae.
Conclusion: The measurements obtained by the present study reveals the importance of articular facets in understanding the mechanics of spinal anatomy and its applications
with respect to transmission of weight. The loaded articular facet joints is one of the reason for low back pain in addition to other reasons like root pain, muscular spasm etc.
Key words: cervical vertebrae, upper thoracic vertebrae, articular facets.
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Komala B. A STUDY OF RELATIVE MAGNITUDE OF COMPRESSIVE FORCES PASSING THROUGH THE CERVICAL AND UPPER THORACIC VERTEBRAE IN MAN. Int J Anat Res 2016;4(1):1927-1930. DOI: 10.16965/ijar.2016.115
