Alparslan Ince & Emrullah Eken

Summary

This study aims to carry out a comparative study on the vertebral structure of the elite male weightlifters and the sedentary group (control group) by obtaining three-dimensional data and models by means of photogrammetry from the columna vertebralis sections taken by MDCT. The columna vertebralis of the 8 male weightlifters and 8 sedentary individuals (control group) was scanned with a high-definition diagnostic MDCT device during the study. The demographic findings suggest no difference in both the weightlifters and the sedentary individual. The 2D axial images in DICOM format were burnt on CDs and then copied on a PC on which 3D-Doctor 4.0, which is a 3D modelling program had already been installed. The reconstruction was carried out with the 3D rendering component of the program. All the data were automatically measured by the abovementioned program and the statistical analyses were determined with a ­t test by SPSS 15. Considering the statistical results of the Columna vertebralis, only in the length of Pars lumbaris some statistically considerable differences (p<0.05) were observed between the vertebras L3-L5 in the elite male weightlifters and the sedentary individuals. Therefore, concluding from the idea that these techniques and the three-dimensional reconstruction procedures should be put into practice in the field of sports medicine, the substructure works that will be carried out on weightlifters by means of MDCT are thought to be supported by these studies.

KEY WORDS: Columna vertebralis; Three-dimensional reconstruction; Elite weightlifters; Computerized tomography.

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