Mayra Alejandra Borda Cárdenas & Martha Bernal-García

Cervical vertebrae present bilateral transverse foramen, any modification in embryogenesis, generates variants of size, number and shape, which are associated with various neurological problems. Descriptive and observational study of cervical vertebrae, of the number, shape and laterality of the main and accessory transverse foramina were observed and classified. Specialized photographic record was taken. Of the 13 vertebrae with an accessory transverse foramen, six were unilateral and seven bilateral, the oval shape prevailing in the direction to the right. The most common level of duplication was C4(two incomplete and seven complete) and the least commun was C1, C2 and C5. The knowledge of these anatomical variants by radiologists, surgeons and neurosurgeons, contributes to the planning of surgical approaches, favoring the instrumentation of the cervical region avoiding iatrogenic and fatal outcomes.

KEY WORDS: Cervical vertebrae, Anatomic Variation, foramen, transversarium, accessory.

BORDA, C. M. A. & BERNAL-GARCÍA, M. Clinical Implication of Anatomical Variants of Number and Shape of the Transverse Foramen in Dry Cervical Vertebrae. Int. J. Morphol., 40(3):613-618, 2022.