title: 3D morphometric analysis of laminae and facet joints in patients with degenerative spondylolisthesis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To clarify the three-dimensional (3D) morphometric characteristics of the spine in patients with degenerative spondylolisthesis (DS).
  
  
  METHODS
  3D morphometric analyses of laminae and facets were performed and compared for a DS group, an age-matched spinal canal stenosis (LCS) group, and a control group of young persons without spinal disease. 3D facet sagittal angles (3D-FSAs), 3D facet axial angle (3D-FAAs), and 3D-FAA tropism at L3 and at L4 were measured by extracting the 3D inferior articular process. The 3D lamina inclination angles (3D-LIAs) of L3 and L4 were also measured by extracting the ventral surface of the laminae.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The 3D-FSAs at L4 in the DS group were significantly higher than for the other groups, but the difference in 3D-FSAs at L3 was not statistically significant among the groups. The 3D-FAAs at L4 in the DS group were significantly lower than in the control group. There was no significant difference in other factors.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  3D morphometric analysis clarified that DS is significantly correlated with horizontalization (higher 3D-FSA), but is not correlated with sagittalization (lower 3D-FAA) and tropism (3D-FAA tropism) of facet joints or horizontalization of laminae (3D-LIA). There were no morphometric characteristics at the cranial adjacent segment of DS.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Orthopaedic Biomaterial Science , Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine , Osaka , Japan.
authors.forename: Yohei
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Matsuo
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kaito
authors.forename: Motoki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Iwasaki
authors.forename: Tsuyoshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sugiura
authors.forename: Takahito
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Fujimori
authors.forename: Yukitaka
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nagamoto
authors.forename: Masafumi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kashii
authors.forename: Tsuyoshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Murase
authors.forename: Hideki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yoshikawa
authors.forename: Kazuomi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sugamoto
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009192:Myelography / Q000379:methods; D013168:Spondylolisthesis / Q000175:diagnosis*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D055815:Young Adult; D021801:Zygapophyseal Joint
keywords: Articular facet; Degenerative spondylolisthesis; Facet inclination; Lamina inclination; Three dimensional