title: Whole-spine magnetic resonance imaging study in healthy Chinese adolescents.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To establish a preliminary magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) database of whole spine of healthy Chinese adolescents.
  
  
  METHODS
  MRI examination of whole spine and hindbrain was performed in 41 enrolled students aged 11-17 years (mean age 13.95; 18 males, 23 females) using a 1.5-T MR Scanner. Measurements of the ratio of anteroposterior (AP) and transverse (TS) diameters of the cord, cerebellar tonsillar level related to the basion-opsithion (BO) line, location of conus medullaris, total cord length, total vertebral length, cord/vertebral length ratio, thoracic cord area, thoracic vertebral area, thoracic cord/vertebral area ratio were obtained.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mean values of cervical AP and TS were 6.63 mm and 12.21 mm, respectively. The mean level of cerebellar tonsillar related to BO line was 3.97 mm. Mean level of conus medullaris located in L1 lower 1/3. Total cord length was 399.34 mm, total vertebral length was 529.49 mm, Cord/vertebral length ratio was 0.75 and thoracic cord/vertebral area ratio was 0.17 on average. Vertebral length was correlated with age (r = 0.352, P = 0.024) whereas cord length and their ratio were not (P > 0.05). Compared with female, male had significantly larger cervical AP and TS, longer cervical cord (P < 0.01), higher position of conus medullaris (P < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  MRI is a useful tool for assessment of the whole spine. The longitudinal and cross-sectional morphology of spinal cord in healthy Chinese adolescents may benefit further study of spine cord in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis as well as in other spine diseases.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Li-feng
authors.initials: LF
authors.lastname: Lao
authors.forename: Zheng-guang
authors.initials: ZG
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Gui-xing
authors.initials: GX
authors.lastname: Qiu
authors.forename: Jian-xiong
authors.initials: JX
authors.lastname: Shen
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000375:Aging / Q000473:pathology; D002531:Cerebellum / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D002648:Child; D016208:Databases, Factual; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D009809:Odontoid Process / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D012016:Reference Values; D012249:Rhombencephalon / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D013115:Spinal Canal / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D013904:Thoracic Vertebrae / Q000033:anatomy & histology
keywords: Adolescent; Magnetic resonance imaging; Spine cord; Whole‐spine