Transpedicular fixatiorı of the spine, is a secure way of obtairıing effective vertebral stabilization in the management of different spinal disorders. İn this study vve investigate whether the pedicle size measurement from conventional radiograms is possible for a healthy preoperative instrumentation pianning. Transverse lum-bar vertebral pedicle diameter was measured in 38 pedicles of 10 healthy individuals and 79 pedicles of 40 disarticulated cadaveric vertebrae for a total of 117 pedicles. İn measurements, direct radiograms and for comparison, radiograms obtained with a computerized digital substraction angiography system was used. İn both of these investigations, magnification was corrected. İn the cadaveric vertebrae, also the actual pedicle sizes were measured. We found that the diameters of pedicles measured on direct radiographs or DSA radio-graphs may differ significantly from the actual measurements of vertebrae even when there is no detectable magnification.
Keywords: Vertebral morphology, pedicle diameter, lumbar vertebra.