{"id":"c6922f73-108c-4e61-9d8b-2aa18004c277","slug":"disc-space-height-and-interpeduncular-distance-in-the-cervical-spine-may-depend-on-more-influencing-factors-than-assumed","title":"Disc space height and interpeduncular distance in the cervical spine may depend on more influencing factors than assumed","authors":["Josef Finsterer","Fulvio Scorza","Carla Scorza"],"abstract":"Background: The article by Shin et al. presents a retrospective study examining the influence of various factors on cervical disc space height (DSH) and interpeduncular distance (IPD) in a cohort of 1000 healthy subjects aged 18 to 35 years. The study found variations in DSH and IPD based on gender, ethnicity, and disc height. However, several methodological limitations warrant discussion. Summary: The letter highlights concerns regarding the retrospective design of the study, including potential missing data and the lack of clarity on the indications for spinal computed tomography (CT) in the included subjects. Additionally, the authors point out that the exclusion criteria may be incomplete and that DSH could be influenced by diurnal fluctuations and positioning during CT scans. The influence of age on DSH and IPD was also not addressed in the analysis. Conclusion: The authors suggest that the limitations identified in the study could affect the interpretation of the results. They recommend that future research should implement more stringent exclusion criteria, standardize CT examination methods, and consider a prospective study design to enhance the validity of the findings. Keywords: cervical spine, disc space height, interpeduncular distance, retrospective study, computed tomography, methodological limitations, exclusion criteria, age influence","thumbnailUrl":"https://sni-digital-videos.s3.amazonaws.com/placeholders/specialty/neuroanatomy-and-neurophysiology.png","publishDate":"2024-08-23T00:00:00.000Z","doi":"10.25259/SNI_624_2024","categories":["Neuroanatomy and Neurophysiology","Letter to the Editor"],"fullTextUrl":"https://surgicalneurologyint.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/13052/SNI-15-302.pdf"}