Journal of Isfahan Medical School

Journal of Isfahan Medical School

The Relationship between the Area and Position of the Vertebral Artery with Transverse Vertebral Foramen in People without Neurological Symptoms and Its Comparison on the Dominant and Non-Dominant Side

Document Type : Short Communication

Authors
Maryam Farghadani 1
Maryam Moradi 1
Azadeh Ahmadi 2
1 Associate Professor, Department of Radiology, School of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
2 Assistant, Department of Radiology, School of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
10.48305/jims.v40.i702.1087
Abstract
Background: Assessments of the position and area of the vertebral artery (VA) may be particularly important especially preoperatively. Here, we aimed to investigate the relationship between the area and position of the vertebral artery with the transverse foramen (TF).
Methods: This is a cross-sectional study that was performed during 2020-2021 in Al-Zahra hospital in Isfahan. At the first step, 100 patients were randomly selected to performing Color-Doppler ultrasound imaging. The dominant artery was identified by measuring blood flow volume in the two vertebral arteries and data were collected. Patients were then undergoing CT-angiography of the cervical arteries. The area of vertebral artery and transverse foramens as well as vertebral artery position inside transverse foramen at C4 level were measured.
Findings: significantly larger than the opposite side. The ratio of vertebral artery to transverse foramen (VA/TF) was significantly higher on the dominant side than on the non-dominant side. We found no significant difference between the types of centrality in the dominant and non-dominant side, but in both sides the position of the vertebral artery inside the transverse foramen was significantly paracentral, especially anteromedial.
Conclusion: area of the vertebral artery and the transverse foramen and the ratio of VA/TF were significantly higher on the dominant side than the non-dominant side.
Keywords
Anatomic variants
CT angiography
Spine cervical
Transverse foramina
Vertebral artery
Subjects
  1. Yuan SM. Aberrant origin of vertebral artery and its clinical implications. Braz J Cardiovasc Surg 2016; 31(1): 52-9.
  2. Woraputtaporn W, Ananteerakul T, Iamsaard S, Namking M. Incidence of vertebral artery of aortic arch origin, its level of entry into transverse foramen, length, diameter and clinical significance. Anat Sci Int 2019; 94(4): 275-9.
  3. Tarnoki AD, Fejer B, Tarnoki DL, Littvay L, Lucatelli P, Cirelli C, et al. Vertebral artery diameter and flow: nature or nurture. J Neuroimaging 2017; 27(5): 499-504.
  4. Nesteruk I, Pereverzyev Jr S, Mayer L, Steiger R, Kusstatscher L, Fritscher K, et al. Stenosis detection in internal carotid and vertebral arteries with the use of diameters estimated from MRI data. Int Sci J 2020; 4(3): 131-42.
  5. Yun SY, Lee JY, Kwon EJ, Jung C, Yang X, Kim JS. Compression of both vertebral arteries during neck extension: a new type of vertebral artery compression syndrome. J Neurol 2020; 267(1): 276-8.
  6. Sureka B, Mittal MK, Mittal A, Agarwal MSK, Bhambri NK, Thukral BB. Morphometric analysis of diameter and relationship of vertebral artery with respect to transverse foramen in Indian population.
    Indian J Radiol Imaging 2015; 25(2): 167.
  7. Sanchis‐Gimeno JA, Perez‐Bermejo M, Rios L, Llido S, Bastir M, Blanco‐Perez E, et al. Analysis of the relationship between the double transverse foramen and the possibility of developing clinical symptoms after whiplash. Clin Anat 2017; 30(6): 761-6.
  8. Jain RS, Gupta PK, Handa R, Nagpal K, Prakash S, Agrawal R. Vertebrobasilar territory ischemic stroke after electrical injury: delayed sequelae. J Stroke Cerebrovasc Dis 2014; 23(6): 1721-3.
  9. Desouza R, Crocker M, Haliasos N, Rennie A, Saxena A. Blunt traumatic vertebral artery injury: a clinical review. Eur Spine J 2011; 20(9): 1405-16.
  10. Kotil K, Kilincer C. Sizes of the transverse foramina correlate with blood flow and dominance of vertebral arteries. Spine J 2014; 14(6): 933-7.
  11. Zibis A, Mitrousias V, Galanakis N, Chalampalaki N, Arvanitis D, Karantanas A. Variations of transverse foramina in cervical vertebrae: what happens to the vertebral artery? Eur Spine J 2018; 27(6): 1278-85.
  12. Hong JM, Chung C-S, Bang OY, Yong SW, Joo IS, Huh K. Vertebral artery dominance contributes to basilar artery curvature and peri-vertebrobasilar junctional infarcts. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 2009; 80(10): 1087-92.
Journal of Isfahan Medical School
Volume 40, Issue 702
2nd Week, March
March and April 2023
Pages 1080-1084

  • Receive Date 13 November 2022
  • Revise Date 02 March 2023
  • Accept Date 02 March 2023