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Abstract

Open Access Research in Anatomy

Stereotactic Characteristics of the Thalamus Subject to Shape of the Skull: An MRI Study

  • Open or Close Maryna Kornieieva1,2*, Iuliia Zhuravlova3 and Azmy Hadidy4

    1Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Human Medicine, Al-Balqa Applied University, Jordan

    2Department of Anatomy, American University of Caribbean’s Medical School, St.Marteen

    33Department of Anatomy, Trinity School of Medicine, St.Vincent and the Grenadines

    4Radiology and Nuclear Medicine Department, Jordan University Hospital, Jordan

    *Corresponding author: M Kornieieva, Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Human Medicine, Al-Balqa Applied University, As-Salt 19110, Al-Buhaira Street 31/1, Jordan

Submission: September 26, 2017; Published: October 26, 2017

DOI: 10.31031/OARA.2017.01.000504

ISSN: 2577-1922
Volume1 Issue1

Abstract

Introduction: The thalamus is a nuclear complex located in the dorsal part of the diencephalon. The wide implementation of deep brain stimulation into minimally invasive neurosurgical practice requires accurate localization of the thalamus. The present study is designed to assess the influence of the individual shape of the skull in relation to the stereotactic characteristics of the thalamus.

Materials and methods: A total of 140 Arab patients underwent routine MRI examination of the head. The perpendicular distances from the outer surface of the skull bones to anterior, lateral and superior borders of the thalamus were analyzed in patients with dolichocephalic, mesocephalic, and brachycephalic shapes of the skull. The maximum-likelihood estimation of the observed variables was generalized to the studied population with the method of robust regression.

Results: The distance from the anterior end of the thalamus to the outer surface of the frontal bone varies from the 81.92mm in the group of subjects with the dolichocephalic shape of the skull to 77.92mm in the brachiocephalic group, with the middle value obtained in the mesocephalic group. The opposite tendency concerns the distance from the midpoint of the lateral border of the thalamus to the outer surface of the temporal bone.

Conclusion: The distances between the counter sides of the thalamus and the outer surfaces of overlaying bones do correlate with the shape of skull, and may contribute to personalization of preoperative stereotactic analysis and approach.

Keywords: Variability; Thalamus; Deep brain stimulation

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