Morphometrical dimensions of the sheep thoracolumbar vertebrae as seen on digitised CT images.
10.5625/lar.2013.29.3.138
- Author:
Mahmoud MAGEED
1
;
Dagmar BERNER
;
Henriette JULKE
;
Christian HOHAUS
;
Walter BREHM
;
Kerstin GERLACH
Author Information
1. Large Animal Clinic for Surgery, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany. mahmoud.mageed@hotmail.com
- Publication Type:Original Article
- Keywords:
Ovine;
spine anatomy;
animal model;
reference values;
computed tomography
- MeSH:
Adult;
Humans;
Intervertebral Disc;
Lumbar Vertebrae;
Models, Animal;
Reference Values;
Sheep;
Spinal Canal;
Spine;
Tomography, Spiral Computed
- From:Laboratory Animal Research
2013;29(3):138-147
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:English
-
Abstract:
The sheep spine is widely used as a model for preclinical research in human medicine to test new spinal implants and surgical procedures. Therefore, precise morphometric data are needed. The present study aimed to provide computed tomographic (CT) morphometry of sheep thoracolumbar spine. Five adult normal Merino sheep were included in this study. Sheep were anaesthetised and positioned in sternal recumbency. Subsequently, transverse and sagittal images were obtained using a multi-detector-row helical CT scanner. Measurements of the vertebral bodies, pedicles, intervertebral disc and transverse processes were performed with dedicated software. Vertebral bodies and the spinal canal were wider than they were deep, most obviously in the lumbar vertebrae. The intervertebral discs were as much as 57.4% thicker in the lumbar than in the thoracic spine. The pedicles were higher and longer than they were wide over the entire thoracolumbar spine. In conclusion, the generated data can serve as a CT reference for the ovine thoracolumbar spine and may be helpful in using sheep spine as a model for human spinal research.
