Morphometric Analysis of The Accessory Transverse Foramen in a Population in Northeastern Brazil

Introduction: vertebral arteries (VA) are the formation factors of the Transverse Foramens (TF) and the largerst anatomical structures that occupy them. Variations in the presence, size and course of VAs affect the morphology of TFs considerably, besides being the probable cause of formation of the accessory transverse foramen (ATF). Knowledge of the presence of the ATF and its variations are important for a safe surgery. Material and Methods: the present study has analyzed 165 cervical vertebrae. The ATF has been classified as unilateral or bilateral, complete or incomplete and anterior, posterior or lateral regarding the transverse foramen of the respective cervical vertebrae analyzed. Quantitative data was collected through a digital caliper. Results: 36 (21.82%) of the vertebrae presented the ATF, with 25 (15.15%) of them carrying the ATF unilaterally, while the remaining 11 (6.67%) had the foramen bilaterally. 28 (59.57%) ATF were classified as incomplete and 19 (40.43%) were classified as complete. 44 (93.62%) were identified as posterior and 3 (6.38%) were anterior to the TF. Regarding the morphometric data, there was no difference between the longitudinal measurement (LM) and transverse measurement (TM) on the right and left sides of the vertebrae analyzed. Conclusion: it has been shown for the first time the prevalence of ATF in individuals in a population of Northeastern Brazil. The morphological knowledge can be surgical and clinically important as it may suggest alterations in the vertebral artery and in the venous plexuses that surround it in its vertebral segment of passage in the transverse foramina.

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