title: Computed tomographic evaluation of the distance between the medial border of longus colli muscle and foramen transversarium in ventral approaches to the subaxial cervical spine.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Iatrogenic vertebral artery (VA) injury during ventral approaches to the     subaxial cervical spine ranges from 0.22% to 2.77%. Evaluation of the extent of     safe lateral working distance before the V2 segment of the VA is reached can be     helpful to avoid this complication.
  
  
  METHODS
  In 100 patients (48     males and 52 females) axial computed tomographic scanning was used to measure     the distance from the medial border of longus colli muscle (LCM) to the medial     border of the foramen transversarium along the anterior border of the vertebral     body at each level from C3-4 down to C6-7. The arithmetic mean of the 2     measurements at the upper and lower end-plates of the corresponding level was     considered representative of the safe lateral working distance at this level.     Statistical significance was set as P value < 0.001.
  
  
  RESULTS
  No     statistically significant difference was found between the measurements in the     whole study population at various levels or between subgroups. A gradual     increase in the distances was noticed from C3-4 down to C6-7 level in all     subgroups except for spondylotic males.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study offers useful     morphometric data that can help the surgeon avoid VA injury during anterior     procedures to the subaxial cervical spine.
authors.affiliation: Cairo University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Cairo, Egypt.
authors.forename: Rania Mohamed
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Hegazy
authors.forename: Waleed Abdelfattah
authors.initials: WA
authors.lastname: Azab
authors.forename: Hosam Mohamed
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Attia
authors.forename: Ahmed Yahia
authors.initials: AY
authors.lastname: Abdelrahman
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002102:Cadaver; D002574:Cervical Vertebrae / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D019547:Neck Pain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D012016:Reference Values; D013131:Spine / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D055815:Young Adult