THE ARTERIAL SUPPLY OF THE CERVICAL VERTEBRAL BODIES / 解剖学报

ABSTRACT

The arterial supply of human cervical vertebral bodies (C_3-C_7) was studied in 74 fresh cadavers of different ages by dissection and translucent preparation.1. The cervical vertebral bodies mainly obtain their blood supply from the vertebral artery, but the lower two (C_6-C_7) also receive their blood supply from the branches of the inferior thyroid, the deep cervical, the costocervical trunk, the highest intercostal and the subclavian artery. These arteries form a ladder-like anastomosis on the anterolateral surface of the vertebral bodies, and a rectangular or hexagonal anastomosis on the dorsal surface.2. The nutrient arteries enter the vertebral body from the anterolateral and dorsal aspects. They can be divided into the central branches which reach the center of the body and the peripheral ones which lie on the peripheral part of the body. Each of the central branches appears as a straight, unbranching stem. Their centrifugal terminals at the center of the body are arborized and extend to the upper, lower, left and right part of the body to supply the central core of the vertebral body which corresponds to the area of the nucleus pulposus. The peripheral branches, short and early branched, supply the peripheral part of the vertebral body which corresponds to the area of the annulus fibrous.3. The number of the central branches on the anterolateral aspect varies between 0-3 and that on the dorsal aspect is 0-2. The number of the peripheral branches on the anterolateral aspect is 2-13 and that on the dorsal aspect is 0-6. These branches anastomose with each other within the body of the vertebra. The end artery only appears in the developing cartilaginous regions of the body.