Chinese Journal of Tissue Engineering Research ›› 2024, Vol. 28 ›› Issue (18): 2830-2834.doi: 10.12307/2024.028

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Clinical significance of digital measurement of occipital condyle and foramen magnum in children

Li Kun1, 2, Zhou Zheyuan3, Wang Jian1, Zhang Yan3, Zhao Yan3, He Xuetong3, Li Ke3, Chen Simin3, Wu Xingyu3, Wang Xing1, 2, Zhang Shaojie1, 2   

  1. 1Department of Anatomy, School of Basic Medicine, Inner Mongolia Medical University, Hohhot 010110, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, China; 2Digital Medicine Center, Inner Mongolia Medical University, Hohhot 010059, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, China; 3Erdos Clinical Medical College, Inner Mongolia Medical University, Hohhot 010110, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, China
  • Received:2022-11-15 Accepted:2023-03-16 Online:2024-06-28 Published:2023-08-24
  • Contact: Wang Xing, Associate professor, MD, Department of Anatomy, School of Basic Medicine, Inner Mongolia Medical University, Hohhot 010110, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, China; Digital Medicine Center, Inner Mongolia Medical University, Hohhot 010059, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, China Zhang Shaojie, Professor, MD, Department of Anatomy, School of Basic Medicine, Inner Mongolia Medical University, Hohhot 010110, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, China; Digital Medicine Center, Inner Mongolia Medical University, Hohhot 010059, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, China
  • About author:Li Kun, Doctoral candidate, Department of Anatomy, School of Basic Medicine, Inner Mongolia Medical University, Hohhot 010110, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, China; Digital Medicine Center, Inner Mongolia Medical University, Hohhot 010059, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, China Zhou Zheyuan, Erdos Clinical Medical College, Inner Mongolia Medical University, Hohhot 010110, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, China
  • Supported by:
    Natural Science Foundation of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, No. 2022QN03002 (to LK); Youth Fund Project of Inner Mongolia Medical University, No. YKD2020QNCX055 (to LK); Talent Cultivation Project of Inner Mongolia Medical University, No. YCPY2022019 (to LK); College Student Innovation and Entrepreneurship Project of Inner Mongolia Medical University, No. 202110132025, 202210132031, 202210132011 (to LK); National Natural Science Foundation of China, No. 81860383 (to LK, WX, ZSJ); Natural Science Foundation of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, No. 2020LH08021 (to LK, WX, ZSJ); National Natural Science Foundation of China, No. 81860382 (to WX); Natural Science Foundation of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, No. 2020MS03061 (to WX); Youth Science and Technology Talent Support Program of Higher Education Institutions in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, No. NJYT22009 (to WX); Science and Technology Plan Project of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, No. 2019GG158 (to WX); Key Scientific Research Project of Inner Mongolia Medical University, No. YKD2021ZD011 (to WX); Health Commission Medical and Health Technology Plan Project of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, No. 202201217 (to WX); Natural Science Foundation of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, No. 2019MS08017 (to ZSJ)

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Abstract: BACKGROUND: Due to the young age of children, the occipital condyle and foramen magnum are not fully developed, and they are prone to various diseases and injuries in the occipitocervical junction, which requires surgical treatment in severe cases. However, anatomical parameters for the development of the occipital condyle and foramen magnum in children are lacking.
OBJECTIVE: To measure the morphological structure of the occipital condyle and foramen magnum by three-dimensional reconstruction technique, and to provide important anatomical parameters for occipitocervical junction lesions, related surgical procedures and forensic identification.
METHODS: Imaging data of 389 cases of primitive children and adolescents involved in skull base undergoing spiral CT scanning (247 males and 142 females) aged 1-18 years were collected and divided into 1-3-year-old group, 4-6-year-old group, 7-9-year-old group, 10-12-year-old group, 13-15-year-old group, and 16-18-year-old group according to their age. Mimics 16.0 software was used to reconstruct the skull base and measure the length and width of the foramen magnum. A formula was used to calculate the area and index of the foramen magnum. We measured the length, width and height of the occipital condyle, the angle between the long axis and the sagittal axis of the occipital condyle (O-S angle), the included angle between the midpoint of the front and back edges of the foramen magnum and the connection between the back edge of occipital condyle and the intersection point of the foramen magnum (F-O angle), and the included angle between the midpoint of the front and back edges of the foramen magnum and the midpoint of the back wall of the sublingual neural tube (F-H angle). Gender, side and age differences were analyzed among the indicators.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: (1) In foramen magnum measurement, there was no significant difference between sexes in the index of the foramen magnum (P > 0.05), but there were significant differences in length, width and area of the foramen magnum (P < 0.05). (2) The O-S angle, F-O angle and F-H angle of the occipitral condyle were not significantly different between genders (P > 0.05), but length, width and height of the occipital condyle were significantly different between genders (P < 0.05). (3) There were no significant differences in the length of the occipital condyle among different groups (P > 0.05), but there were significant differences in the width and height of the occipital condyle, O-S angle, F-O angle and F-H angle among different groups (P < 0.05). (4) Length, width and area of the foramen magnum, length, width and height of the occipital condyle showed a wavy increasing trend with the increase of age, while O-S, F-O and F-H angles showed a wavy decreasing trend with the increase of age, while the index of the foramen magnum showed no significant change. (5) In conclusion, there are gender and lateral differences in the morphological indexes of the foramen magnum and the occipital condyle in children. These differences can provide an important reference for clinical surgical approach selection and forensic examination.

Key words: foramen magnum, occipital condyle, computed tomography, three-dimensional reconstruction, morphological characteristics

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