The Statistics And Analyses Of Vertebral Artery Coursing And Related Variations Based On Three Dimensional CTA

Objective:The objective of this research is to provide morphological datas for the research and management of the vertebral artery by getting the statistic datas of vertebral artery and its surrouding structures and observing the variations of vertebral artery coursing.Methods: We constructed 143 three dimensional models of the whole length vertebral artery,cervical vetebraes and cranioaural bone by using CTA series images of head and neck. Base on these models, we measured the statistic datas of vertebral artery and observed the variations.Results:We got the anatomical datas of vertebral artery including : the length of V1~V4; the length of v2 between segments; the distance between medial border of vertebral artery and median line; the distance between medial border of vertebral artery and hamular processes; the height of hamular processes. We observed the variations of vertebral artery including:the position of branching point; the level throughing cervical foramens;permanent intersegmental artery; deformity of circular groove of atlas;duplicate vertebral arteries.Conclusion:1 The models created by three dimensional CTA are refer to the morphological observations and measurements. In this research we got some statistics datas of vertebral artery and its surrounding structures, and this can provide morphological datas for the research and management of the vertebral artery.2 There is a corresponding relationship between the position of branching point and the level throughing cervical foramens of the vertebral artery. In the right, the vertebral artery normally branches from the lateral segment of subcalvical artery, and pass through the cervical foramen of C6.The branching point of vertebral artery on the middle and mediral segment pass through the cervical foramen of C4 or C5. In the left, vertebral artery branching from the arch of aorta nomaly pass through the cervical foramen of C4 or C5. This tendency maybe have relationship to the development of aortic arches and intersegmental arteries.3 The variations like permanent intersegmental artery and deformity of can be found vertebral artery of V3, the operations and handling of this place shoud be noticed.