title: Cortical bone thickening in Type A posterior atlas arch defects: experimental report.
abstract: To date, no information about the cortical bone microstructural properties in atlas vertebrae with posterior arch defects has been reported.
  
  
  
  To test if there is an increased cortical bone thickening in atlases with Type A posterior atlas arch defects in an experimental model.
  
  
  
  Micro-computed tomography (CT) study on cadaveric atlas vertebrae.
  
  
  
  We analyzed the cortical bone thickness, the cortical volume, and the medullary volume (SkyScan 1172 Bruker micro-CT NV, Kontich, Belgium) in cadaveric dry vertebrae with a Type A atlas arch defect and normal control vertebrae.
  
  
  
  The micro-CT study revealed significant differences in cortical bone thickness (p=.005), cortical volume (p=.003), and medullary volume (p=.009) values between the normal and the Type A vertebrae.
  
  
  
  Type A congenital atlas arch defects present a cortical bone thickening that may play a protective role against atlas fractures.
authors: Department of Anatomy and Human Embryology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Valencia, Avda. Blasco Ibanez 15, Valencia E46010, Spain. Electronic address: juan.sanchis@uv.es.
authors: Juan A
authors: JA
authors: Sanchis-Gimeno
authors: Department of Anatomy and Human Embryology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Valencia, Avda. Blasco Ibanez 15, Valencia E46010, Spain.
authors: Susanna
authors: S
authors: Llido
authors: Trabeculae Technology Based Firm, Technological Park of Galicia, Ourense E32900, Spain.
authors: David
authors: D
authors: Guede
authors: Department of Anatomy and Human Embryology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Valencia, Avda. Blasco Ibanez 15, Valencia E46010, Spain.
authors: Francisco
authors: F
authors: Martinez-Soriano
authors: Orthopedic Surgery Service, USC University Hospital Complex, Travesia da Choupana, s/n, Santiago de Compostela E15706, Spain.
authors: Jose
authors: J
authors: Ramon Caeiro
authors: Department of Radiology, University Hospital de La Ribera, Carretera Corbera km 1, Alzira, Valencia E46600, Spain.
authors: Esther
authors: E
authors: Blanco-Perez
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D002102:Cadaver; D001270:Cervical Atlas / Q000002:abnormalities* / Q000473:pathology*; D000071538:Cortical Bone / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D055114:X-Ray Microtomography
keywords: Atlas arch; Cadaver; Cervical atlas; Congenital defects; Cortical bone; Micro-CT