Morphometric Analysis and Incidence of Accessory Foramen Transversarium in a Population in Eastern Turkey

Abstract

The aim of this study is to reveal the incidence and morphometric features of the accessory foramen transversarium in the population in eastern Turkey. In the study, a total of 125 cervical vertebrae of unknown gender and age, located in the Anatomy Department of Ataturk, Erzincan Binali Yıldırım and Kafkas University Medical Faculties, were used and accessory foramen transversarium was detected in 22 (17.6 %) of these cervical vertebrae. In this study, the area, vertical and horizontal diameters of the accessory foramen transversarium were measured for the first time. It was determined that the accessory foramen transversarium with the largest area was in C3-C6 (6.8 mm2) and the smallest area was in C7 (1.06 mm2). It was determined that the largest vertical diameter was C7 (2.38 mm), the smallest one was C3-C6 (0.91 mm), the largest horizontal diameter (3.66 mm), and the smallest (1.6 mm) were C3-C6. In addition, accessory foramen transversariums were typified. One foramen arcuate was also detected during the examinations. As a result, osteometric measurements of the accessory foramen transversarium were revealed. We think that these data will be an important reference in head and neck surgery, in the clinical approach of a. vertebralis, and in the evaluations of radiologists in the neck region.