Table 4.

Comparative Analysis of Lumbar Foraminal Volumetric Studies Using MRI and CT.

Criteria	MRI-Based Study Nurmukhametov et al.	CT-Based Study (Khiami et al.) [64]
Study Objective	To establish normative volumetric parameters of lumbar foramina.	To develop and validate a new method for measuring lumbar foraminal volume using CT.
Measurement Tool	High-resolution MRI.	CT scan with VitreaCore® software for volume calculation.
Participant Demographics	500 patients, broad age range, gender-balanced.	10 healthy patients, mean age 26.3 years.
Volumetric Results	Detailed volumetric measurements from L1/L2 to L5/S1, showing progressive increases.	Average foraminal volumes at L4–L5 around 1.25 mm3 and 1.29 mm3 for two observers.
Reproducibility	High interobserver (ICC = 0.91) and intraobserver (ICC = 0.95) reliability.	High intraobserver correlations (up to 0.99) and interobserver correlations (up to 0.83).
Reliability	Demonstrated through ICC values indicating excellent consistency among measurements.	Demonstrated through intra- and interobserver correlation coefficients.
Clinical Implications	Provides baseline for normal variations, crucial for diagnosing and managing lumbar foraminal stenosis.	Suggests that CT-based measurements could supplement tools for measuring foraminal stenosis.