Anatomical study of the vertebral artery in Japanese adults

Abstract

The aim of the present study was to examine the vertebral arteries. The origins of the right and left vertebral arteries and their entrance points into the cervical transverse foramen were examined in dissections of 515 Japanese cadavers (303 males, 212 females) at Kurume University School of Medicine from 1990 to 2003. There were 515 right vertebral arteries and 514 left vertebral arteries. The right vertebral artery originated from the right subclavian artery in 514 of 515 arteries and one of the arteries arose from the bifurcation of the brachiocephalic trunk. The mean distance between the origin of the right subclavian artery and the right vertebral artery was 20.9 mm. The left vertebral artery originated from the left subclavian artery in 484 of 514 arteries and the mean distance between the origin of the left subclavian artery and the left vertebral artery was 32.1 mm. The remaining 30 arteries (5.8%) originated from the aortic arch between the left common carotid artery and the left subclavian artery and this frequency is similar to previously published data. There was no right-left difference for the entrance point of the vertebral arteries into the cervical transverse foramen and the 6th cervical vertebra (C6) was the most common entrance point. Seventy-eight percent of our cases had right and left vertebral arteries that originated in the subclavian arteries and entered the cervical transverse foramen at C6. Among the 30 left vertebral arteries that originated from the aortic arch, 20 arteries (66.7%) entered a cervical transverse foramen at a level higher than C6. This frequency was higher than that for the left vertebral artery that originated from the subclavian artery.

A Morphometric Study on Cadaveric Aortic Arch and Its Major Branches in 25 Korean Adults : The Perspective of Endovascular Surgery

“…In two cadavers, the left vertebral artery was branched directly from the aortic arch. Comparing with other reports, Yamaki et al 20) examined the branch of the vertebral artery in 515 Japanese adult cadavers. In one cadaver, the right vertebral artery originated from the BCT.…”

Caracterizacion de las Ramas del Arco Aórtico en una Muestra de Poblacion Colombiana: Un Estudio con Material de Autopsia

“…En los arcos con 4 ramas, con mayor frecuencia se observa que la rama adicional es la arteria vertebral izquierda (AVI) que emerge entre la carótida y subclavia izquierda (Matula et al, 1997;Komiyama et al, 2001;Yamaki et al, 2006;Berko et al).…”

“…El desconocimiento de las expresiones variantes de las ramas derivadas del AA puede precipitar la ocurrencia de iatrogenias durante los procedimientos quirúrgicos (Matula et al;Satyapal et al;Nayak et al, 2006;Jakanani & Adair). La evaluación de la emergencia de las ramas del AA ha sido sido realizada en grupos poblacionales variados y a través de métodos anatómicos convencionales e imagenológicos (De Garis et al, 1933;Grande et al, 1995;Satyapal et al;Bathia et al;Yamaki et al;Berko et al;Natsis et al, 2009;Bhattarai & Poudel, 2010;Ogeng'o et al, 2010;Alsaif & Ramadan). Consideramos importante una caracterización morfológica de estas estructuras, desarrollada en material cadavérico fresco, que contemple población colombiana y que contribuya a la obtención de una casuística propia de referencia, al mejoramiento de la interpretación de sus imágenes y al manejo de eventos quirúrgicos.…”

High Ascending Vertebral Artery: Case Report

“…Anatomi in their study, in Adachi's study, and in Miyashita's study, respectively. 8 It has been considered that if the right vertebral artery originates from a proximal segment of the right SA, it tends to enter the foramen transversarium of a higher vertebra. 13 The possible embryologic mechanism underlying this situation can be that the communicating artery between the seventh and sixth intersegmental arteries regresses, the sixth intersegmental artery (instead of the communicating artery between the seventh and the sixth intersegmental arteries) persists as the proximal segment of the right VA, so the origin of the right VA is located closer to the origin of the right SA and the VA enters to a higher vertebra.…”