The increasing use of new techniques and materials for surgical treatment of lower cervical spine conditions has come along with an increasing concern regarding potential complications that might occur. The transpedicular fixation technique, frequently used in other spine levels, is used on the cervical spine, while providing more stability than other techniques, it may cause serious complications such as vertebral artery injury, nervous root injury, or facet joint injuries. However, the C7 vertebra is considered safer for performing this procedure, since, in the vast majority of people, according to available anatomical studies, does not have a vertebral artery passing through its cross-sectional foramen, because that vessel is inserted into such structure only on C6 vertebra. As there are only imaging studies available today for assessing the path of this artery and its anatomical variables, we conducted this anatomical study by dissecting 40 cadaver's vertebral arteries in order to assess the incidence of anatomical variations. We found 3 cases where the vertebral artery penetrated into cross-sectional foramen at C7 (7.5%), a fact that enhances the risk of an undesired injury with a transpedicular technique at this level. The other remaining specimens showed a usual anatomy.
Vertebral artery; Spine; Cadaver
