Cervical spine standards for flexion radiograph interspinous distance ratios in children.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to quantitate the interspinous distances in a group of children as they underwent flexion during lateral radiography.


METHODS
The cases of 59 children with minor trauma who underwent lateral flexion radiography were studied retrospectively. Measurements of each cervical interspinous distance and anteroposterior diameter of the adjacent body were used to calculate a ratio of interspinous distance to vertebral body diameter at each level. Linear regression analyses of each ratio to patient age were performed, and means and standard deviations of the ratios at each level were calculated.


RESULTS
The ratios did not correlate in a statistically significant manner at any level with age. Therefore, data from all 59 children were used to calculate the mean and standard deviation at each cervical level. Most children with severe ligamentous injury who were considered for fusion had interspinous ratios greater than 2 standard deviations above the mean for the control group.


CONCLUSIONS
Standards for interspinous distances during flexion by children are presented. These standards may prove to be helpful in the evaluation of children for cervical ligamentous injury.
Kuhns
L R
LR
Section of Pediatric Radiology, University of Michigan Hospitals, Ann Arbor 48109-0252, USA.
Strouse
P J
PJ
D000293:Adolescent; D002574:Cervical Vertebrae / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000293:injuries*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D006801:Humans; D011859:Radiography; D012189:Retrospective Studies