title: [Imaging measurement of anterior internal fixation for the cervicothoracic junction and its clinical significance].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To measure important parameters of anterior internal fixation for the cervicothoracic junction by us-ing imaging measurement, and provide reference for cervicothoracic junction surgery and design of steel plate screw internal fixation.
  
  
  METHODS
  From June to November 2012, 120 health people's median sagittal plane MRI of cervical spine were ran-domly collected. Of the 120 cases, there were 58 males and 62 females with an average age of 48.3 +/- 13.7, ranging the age of 20 to 78 years old. The anterior,middle and posterior height of vertebral, anterior, upper, medium and lower sagittal diameter, an-terior height of different segments and Cobb angle were measured by measuring machine in the PACS system.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The an-terior, middle and posterior height of vertebral, medium and lower sagittal diameter gradually increased from cranial to caudal of cervicothoracic junction (P < 0.01). For single vertebral,posterior> anterior>middle height (P < 0.01), lower > upper>medium sagittal diameter (P < 0.01). The lower sagittal diameter of upper vertebral body was close to upper sagittal diameter of lower vertebral body. Cobb angle of male was (7.61 +/- 3.85) degrees, while female's was (5.58 +/- 2.59) degrees .
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  During the anterior in-ternal fixation of cervicothoracic junction, it is suggested that the entry points of upper vertebral body should locate on the lower and middle 1/3 of vertebral body, and screws could slightly incline towards cranial,the entry points of lower vertebral body should locate on the upper and middle 1/3 of vertebral body, while screws could slightly incline towards caudal, also can be prebent according to Cobb angle of health.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedics, the Second Hospital Affiliated to Wenzhou Medical College, Wenzhou 325000, Zhejiang, China. sunnyknight@126.com
authors.forename: Yi-Xing
authors.initials: YX
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Sheng
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Yu-Jing
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Teng
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002574:Cervical Vertebrae / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D005593:Fracture Fixation, Internal; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011859:Radiography; D013904:Thoracic Vertebrae / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000601:surgery; D055815:Young Adult