Morphological Analysis of Thoracolumbar Vertebrae Based on Age and Gender in Indonesia Population: A Computed Tomography-Based Study

Background: The incidence of malposition in the thoracolumbar region has been reported to reach as high as 17.1%. Morphometric analysis indicated a correlation between the morphology of the vertebrae and the occurrence of screw malposition. This study investigates the morphometric characteristics based on age and gender among the Indonesian population utilizing CT scan. The morphology assessment enhances understanding of the morphological variations across different vertebral levels. Methods: This research used a cross-sectional analytical study to retrospectively analyze abdominal CT scans, evaluating the morphometry of 1580 pedicles. Data were analyzed descriptively and quantitatively using SPSS version 25. Results: The morphology measurements in the Indonesian population showed males have larger dimensions (p < 0.05), such as ICPW at VL 4 (7.41 ± 1.58 mm vs. 6.05 ± 1.36 mm) and OCPH at VL 2 (14.08 ± 1.56 mm vs. 12.86 ± 1.62 mm). Females, however, demonstrate larger PAA at VL 2 (19.25° ± 3.29° vs. 16.78° ± 2.8°). DEA is significantly higher in males at VL 3 (5.13 ± 0.39 mm vs. 4.85 ± 0.36 mm). These findings also show that the pedicle dimensions in Indonesians are smaller than in other populations. Conclusion: This study found significant differences between male and female groups at several vertebral levels. The male group exhibits higher values across all morphological parameters except DEA. However, there is no correlation between age and pedicle morphology. There is variation in the size of thoracolumbar vertebral pedicles between the Indonesian population and those of other countries, the pedicle size in the Indonesian population is smaller across several radiological parameters.