Anatomic And Radiographic Observation Of The Vertebral Artery Foramen And Its Adjacency In The Lower Cervical Vertebrae

Objective: To provide anatomic data for prevention of vertebral artery injury in the anterior lower-cervical surgery.Methods:(1)Twenty C3～7 cervical specimens of human cadavers were analysed,by removing their hair,skin, fascia, muscle and soaking, boiling, drying, freeing out of bone specimens.Measuremental items include the interforaminal distanse,the width of vertebral body.The width of pedical,the distanse from medial border of transeverse foramen to external border of vertebral body,the distanse from medial border of transeverse foramen to internal and external border of uncinate process,the distanse from posterior border of transeverse foramen to posterior border of vertebrae, ,the distanse from anterior border of transeverse foramen to anterior border of vertebrae,the anteroposterior diameter of transeverse foramens and vertebrae. (2)By CT,above data were measured in 30 CSM patients and 50 ordinary people.Results: (1)The interforaminal distanse , the width of vertebral body,sagittal diameter of vertebrae in C3～7 , sagittal diameter of transeverse foramen in C3～6 were gradually increased.(2)The distanse between medial border of uncinate process and medial border of transerse foramen is no more than 6mm.The distanse from medial border of transerse foramen to external border of vertebrae in C3～6 is no more than 3mm.(3)In C3～6 the ratio of sagittal diameter of transeverse foramen to sagittal diameter of vertebrae is constant(30.32%～31.86%).In C3～5the distanse from anterior border of transeverse foramen to anterior border of vertebrae is gradually decreased.In C3～5 the distanse from posterior border of transeverse foramen to posterior border of vertebrae is gradually increased.(4)Cervical pedicle width of C4 is narrowest(5.20±1.14mm), C5 (5.56±1.18mm), C6 (5.93±1.30mm), C7 (6.54±1.12mm) was gradually increasing.Conclusion :The measuements combining with individual anatomic data provide useful information for prevention of vertebral artery injury during operating.