Morphometric Measurement of the Anatomical Landmark in Anterior Cervical Microforaminotomy.

Chang, Jae Chil; Park, Hyung Ki; Bae, Hack Gun; Cho, Sung Jin; Choi, Soon Kwan; Byun, Park Jang

Original Article

Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society 2006;39(5): 340-346.

Jae Chil Chang, Hyung Ki Park, Hack Gun Bae, Sung Jin Cho, Soon Kwan Choi, Park Jang Byun

Department of Neurosurgery, College of Medicine, Soonchunhyang University, Seoul, Korea. phk007@hosp.sch.ac.kr

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE
The lack of anatomical knowledge for the anterior cervical microforaminotomy is liable to injure the neurovascular structures. The surgical anatomy is examined with special attention to the ventral aspect exposed in anterior cervical microforaminotomy.
METHODS
In 16 adult formalin fixed cadaveric cervical spine, the author measured the distances from the medical margin of the longus colli to the medical wall of the ipsilateral vertebral artery and the angle for the ipsilateral vertebral artery. The distances from the lateral margin of the posterior longitudinal ligament to the medial margin of the ipsilateral medial wall of the vertebral artery, to the ipsilateral dorsal root ganglion was measured too.
RESULTS
The distance from the medial margin of the longus colli to the ipsilateral vertebral artery was 13.3~14.7mm and the angle for the ipsilateral vertebral artery was 41~42.5 degrees. The range of distance from the lateral margin of the posterior longitudinal ligament to the ipsilateral vertebral artery was 11.9~16.1mm, to the ipsilateral dorsal root ganglion was 11.6~12.9mm.
CONCLUSION
These data will aid in reducing neurovascular injury during anterior cervical approaches.

Key Words: Anterior cervical microforaminotomy; Longus colli; Posterior longitudinal ligament; Vertebral artery