Cervical Canal Size and Pressure in Experimental Spine Trauma

Cho, Tai Hyoung; Lim, Dong Jun; Kwon, Taek Hyun; Park, Youn Kwan; Chung, Yong Gu; Chung, Heung Seob; Suh, Jung Keun; Lee, Hoon Kap; Pintar, F A

Abstract

The pressure of cervical spine using artificial spiral cord in experimental trauma was studied to investigate the relationship between cervical canal size and the severity of spondylosis of spine. Twelve human cadaveric cervical spine preparations were evaluated based upon their severity of degeneration and canal size was measured in all, and large diameter and small canals were defined. A drop mass assembly was constructed with different combinations of masses to produce 24 possible drop combinations for each preparation. Pressure was recorded with sensor transducer arrays beneath the artificial spinal cord in the cadaveric cervical spine. Although the cervical canal size of specimen does not correlate with the degree of degeneration, significant differences were observed between spondylotic cervical canal size and the pressures at experimental trauma in 12.5mm and developmental canal size in 14.3mm in C5 level(p<0.05). Also, there was statistical difference in the pressure at C5 level between the specimens in which Pavlov ratio were more and less than one. These result may indicated that small cervical canals may be correlated with more severe cord injury than large cervical canals in acute spinal injury.