title: [Anatomical study on vertebral artety and its application in transpedicle screw fixation for upper cervical vetebrae].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the relationship of upper cervical pedicle and vertebral artery (VA) location in order to improve the safety of transpedicular screw insertion.
  
  
  METHODS
  The vertebral arteries on 12 sides of 6 adult pate cadaverous specimens were dissected. The distance between VA and VA groove at the atlas needling point of transpedicle screw, and the distance between VA and the inner edge of axis cervical foramen, and the VA external diameter in axis cervical foramen were measured respectively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The distance between VA and VA groove was (1.96 ± 0.72) mm on the left and (1.99 ± 0.61)mm on the right at the atlas needling point of transpedicle screw, the distance between VA and the inner edge of axis cervical foramen was (2.23 ± 0.43) mm on the left and (2.30 ± 0.39) mm on the right, the VA external diameter in axis cervical foramen was (3.03 ± 0.48) mm on the left and (2.98 ± 0.75) mm on the right.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  It is unlikely to injury VA when the transpedicle screws of upper cervical vertebrae were implanted correctly besides high straddled VA, and the individualization must be performed in the process.
authors.affiliation: 4th Department of Orthopaedics, Affiliated Meizhou Hospital of Sun Yat-sun University, Guangdon, China. wxg_200312919@163.com
authors.forename: Xing-Guo
authors.initials: XG
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Jian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Yu-Qing
authors.initials: YQ
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Wei-Kang
authors.initials: WK
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002574:Cervical Vertebrae / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D005593:Fracture Fixation, Internal / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D065289:Pedicle Screws; D014711:Vertebral Artery / Q000033:anatomy & histology*