Anatomical factors of wedge pressure on cervical nerves in cervical intervertebral foramen of cervical nerve and sulcus of spinal nerve

Yingping LI; Ruifang GUO

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND:

Whether nerve root is involved or not in cervical spondylosis of nerve root type is related not only to stenosis of bone canal and inflammatory disorder and swelling in peripheral soft tissues, but also to the relevant size of external diameter of nerve root.

OBJECTIVE:

To probe into the anatomical factors of cervical spondylosis of nerve root type with occurrence rate of involved cervical nerve in cervical intervertebral foramen and sulcus of spinal nerve.

DESIGN:

Single sample observation was designed.

SETTING:

Department of Anatomy of Chengde Medical College.

PARTICIPANTS:

Totally 120 sides of 60 adult corpses were employed with formaldehyde fixation (28 cases of male and 32 cases of female).

METHODS:

Sixty adult corpses were measured with the vernier of 0.02 mm spinal nerve and the transverse diameter of anterior branch (A-diameter) of superoinferior diameter (S - I diameter) of cervical intervertebral foramen and its spinal nerve root. The ratios were calculated between A-diameter cervical nerve and E-diameter of the corresponding sulcus of spinal nerve and between A - P diameter and S - I diameter of spinal nerve root and those of corresponding intervertebral foramen respectively. The rates of occurrence were concluded for those cervical nerves whose A-diameter larger than or equal to E-diameter of sulcus of spinal nerves and for those spinal nerve roots whose rations larger than or equal to those of corresponding intervertebral foramens.cervical nerve in C3-6 larger than or equal to E-diameter of sulcus of spinal nerve roots in C3-6 larger than or equal to those of corresponding intervertebral foramens.

RESULTS:

Totally 120 sides of 60 corpses were measured (56 cases of male wedge pressure in intervertebral foramen of cervical nerve root for both male and female, of which, that of female was remarkably superior to the male was 6. 3% for wedge pressure of anterior branch of cervical spinal nerve in sulcus in spinal nerve for both male and female, of which, that of male was remarkably superior to the female(8.9%, 3.9%, χ2 = 6.65, P ＜ 0. 01 ).

CONCLUSION:

The involvement of cervical nerve is related not only to the stenosis of bone canal but also to the injury of peripheral soft tissues. By the ratios between E-diameter of nerve root and intervertebral foramen and between A-diameter of cervical nerve and E-diameter of sulcus of spinal nerve, those ≥ 1 can be obtained directly as the rate of occurrence of nerve compression.