Radiographic Index Analysis of the Cervical Spine Curvature and the Range of Flexion-extension / 中国医师杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To provide a new method for measuring cervical spine curvature and the range of flexion-extension and to analyse the radiographic features of the cervical degeneration.Methods The study included 78 patients with cervical spondylosis,90 patients with neck symptoms and 86 normal volunteers.The three groups were compared with each other by the indexes of the cervical spine curvature and the range of flexion-extension.Results There was significantly difference among three groups in the cervical vertebrae lordosis at neutral position.The range of flexion-extension of cervical spondylosis in the patients was smaller than that of the normal volunteers.Conclusions The index method can accurately depict the cervical spine curvature and the range of flexion-extension.There is definitive order in symptom appearance,alterations of physiologic curvature and flexion-extension in the cervical degeneration.