Intervertebral Canals of Cervical Spine

Abstract

RelevanceIn our abstract we give characteristics and make a research of intervertebral canals of cervical spine.ObjectiveTo give anatomical characteristics of intervertebral canal and to make a research of cervical spine canals.Material and Methods37 anatomical preparations were studied, which included 185 intervertebral canals aged 58 ‐ 78 years old (mean age was 52 years old). The complex of the preparations was an intact block of the skull base and cervical spine to the C6‐level. Histological research of connective canal structures was provided.Lateral and medial apertures particular forms, borders, sizes and diameters were studied, anatomical structures of canal walls were described. Ligaments were found and researched in most of canal areas.ResultsThe true cervical intervertebral canals are 5 pairs in segments C2 ‐ C7. Intervertebral canals were measured: medium‐statistical parameters are as follow ‐ length is min 1.46 max 2.0 mm, external aperture is min 0.8 – max 1.4, internal aperture is min 0.4 – max 0.8. Histological research of found structures we discovered gives the right to call their ligaments, the ligaments sizes are as follow: diameter is from 0,1 ‐ to 0,3; length is from 0,4 ‐ to 0,6. Canals studied can be divided into three groups: with clearly identified true ligament (46%); the ligament with matted together false ligaments (fibrotic bands), which compress spinal nerve (43 %); canals without ligament but with the presence of bone and fibrous growths (ossifications), which compress spinal nerve (11 %).ConclusionThe characteristic of “intervertebral canals of cervical spine” anatomical structures was given. Discovered ligaments introforaminalis can be an additional factor of spinal roots compression.