The Relationship between Total Calvarial Thickness and Diploe in the Elderly

Abstract

The aim of this study is the classification of the thickness of diploe, lamina externa, lamina interna and total calvarial thickness at different points of cranium in elderly men and women. In the radiology archive, measurements were made at different points in cranial MR images of 220 (110 females, 110 males) patients, the average ages of whom were 73.23 +/- 8.40 (age range: 61-90) and who had no disorder of the bones. Diploe thickness, lamina externa, lamina interna and total calvarial thickness were measured in eight points of the calvaria. Midfrontal point, back and front bregma, lambda, opisthocranion and euryon points were used in the measurement. The data was loaded to SPSS 16.0 program. T-test, Mann-Whitney U, Pearson correlation coefficient and Kruskal Wallis variance analysis were used in the statistical assessment. Results with a p value smaller than 0.05 were accepted as significant. There was statistically significant difference in total cranial thickness between males and females in the right euryon point only. Average total calvarial thickness at right euryon point was higher in females (6.20 +/- 0.78 mm) than in males (5.96 +/- 0.68 mm) (p=0.02). Average diploe thickness was higher in female than male except for point of bregma back (p<0.05). There was positive linear correlation between diploe thickness and age except for opisthocranion, right euryon and 1cm inferior to lambda. These results related to diploe thickness and cranium thickness may be leading in the determination of sex and age; surgical interventions to the cranium and bone graft choice and may increase the reliability of the operation.