The Anatomical, Radiologic, Biomechanical And Clinical Studies Of The Cervicothoracic Junction In The Spine

Objectives.1. To study the anatomic relations between longus colli muscle and sympathetic trunk when performing the anterior approach to the cervicothoracic vertebral bodies so as to minimize the potential operative injuries and the postoperative complication and to facilitate the vertebral body location.2. To discuss the relation of the MRI measurement in the cervicothoraic junction to the optimal operative approach in the cervicothoracic spinal diseases.3. To investigate the stiffness of anterior, posterior and circumferential spinal reconstructions for different anatomic stages of tumor lesions so as to effectively treat with the tumorous lesion in the cervicothoracic spine.4. To evaluate the biomechanical effects of the tumor size and location (costovertebral joints, pedicles and facet joints) on the failure load of the cervicothoracic vertebrae by using a human spine model simulating osteolytic metastases, which will be helpful to predict the fracture threshold and the prophylactic stabilization operations can be performed accordingly.5. To find an effective means of anteriorly and/or posteriorly stabilizing two-column or three-column injuries at the cervicothoracic junction with the instrumentations available clinically.6. To study the surgical indications, approaches, and the clinical results of the total spondylectomy and instrumentation reconstruction in the treatment of cervicothoracic spinal tumor.Methods.1. 12 caderveric were used in this group, including 10 male and 2 female. The average age was 34 years with a range from 22 to 45. The distance between the medial border of the longus colli muscle and the prevertebral midline from C4 to T2 was measured. The distance between the sympathetic trunk including the middle cervical ganglion and medial border of longus colli muscle, the distancebetween the sympathetic trunk and the prevertebral midline were recorded, respectively.2. The vertebral levels horizontally to the suprasternal notch (line AO), another line (line BO) from the suprasternal notch to the anteiror midpoint of the C7/T1 intervertebral disc and the angle composed of the two lines (