Sagittal diameter measurements of the bony cervical spinal canal in children.

Radiological measurements of the sagittal diameter of the bony cervical spinal canal were performed on 120 children, aged 3 to14 years old. For the age groups 3 to 6, 7 to 10 and 11 to 14 years the appropriate mean values were calculated with standard deviations. In addition the relation between body height and width of the spinal canal was investigated. The values show a continuous increase with advancing years and increasing body height. In all age groups the sagittal diameter decreases slightly from the foramen magnum to C.3 and then remains nearly constant. There are no statistically significant differences between boys and girls. The "normal values" obtained facilitate the detection of pathological cases where there may be widening or narrowing of the cervical spinal canal.