The importance of torg ratio in patients with ankylosing spondylitis

Abstract

Aim: Ankylosing spondylitis is a disease of unknown etiology. It is an inflammatory, rheumatic disease basically influencing peripheral articulations and extra-articular structures. It is chronic and it leads to deformities in vertebra. Deformities in vertebras may lead to cervical spinal stenosis in long term that may result in cervical myelopathy which is a serious health disorder. One of the methods to evaluate the diameter of cervical canal is Torg ratio. Materail and Methods: In this study, patients with ankylosing spondylitis for more than 10 years have been examined through lateral cervical radiograms. The patients were both male and female whose ages range from 40-50 to 50-60. Morphometric measurements of cervical vertebras were made digitally and the differences between groups were revealed. Results: Considering the percentages of the narrowest cervical spinal canal diameter (CSCD) from anterior to posterior, it was seen that females have the highest vertebra levels in C4 and C6 whereas males have the highest vertebra levels in C3 and C7. The difference between males and females was found statistically significant (P=0.021). Minimum Torg ratio vertebra levels for females was in C6 for the age group 40-50 while it was C7 for the age group 50-60. As for the males, both age groups’ Torg ratio vertebra levels was minimum in C7. Conclusions: In this sense, it was concluded that patients with ankylosing spondylitis for more than 10 years should be monitored more carefully for neurological deficits that stem from cervical myelopathy.