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European Spine Journal
Published in: European Spine Journal 12/2015

01-12-2015 | Original Article

A cadaveric study of the cervical nerve roots and spinal segments

Authors: Ryoichi Kobayashi, Haku Iizuka, Masahiro Nishinome, Yoichi Iizuka, Hiroshi Yorifuji, Kenji Takagishi

Published in: European Spine Journal | Issue 12/2015

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Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to anatomically measure the width of the cervical nerve root and spinal cord segment in addition to clarifying the anatomical characteristics of the cervical nerve root.

Methods

We assessed 132 cervical nerve roots obtained from 11 cadavers. A total of 11 cervical spines from C3 to C8 were directly evaluated using digital calipers. The patients from whom the cadaveric specimens were obtained ranged from 79 to 90 years of age at the time of death. Four measurements were taken: the width at the entry of the spinal nerve in the vertebral foramen (WE), the maximum width of the spinal nerve (MW) and the length of the spinal segment on the ventral (LV) and dorsal rootlets (LD).

Results

The mean values of the WE from C3 to C8 were 5.5, 5.6, 6.0, 5.8, 4.8 and 4.3 mm, respectively. The value of C8 was significantly smaller than that of C3, C4, C5 and C6. The mean values of the MW from C3 to C8 were 5.6, 6.0, 6.4, 6.7, 6.3 and 6.0 mm, respectively. The mean values of the LV from C3 to C8 were 12.1, 12.5, 12.6, 12.7, 11.8 and 10.6 mm, respectively. The value of C8 was significantly narrower than that of C4, C5 and C6. The mean values of the LD from C3 to C8 were 12.1, 13.3, 13.6, 12.2, 11.0 and 10.6 mm, respectively. The value of C8 was significantly narrower than that of C4 and C5.

Conclusions

We anatomically measured the width of cervical nerve roots and spinal segments. The spinal segment of C8 was significantly narrower than some of the roots located in the middle of the cervical spine, and this characteristic continued to the entry of the root in the vertebral foramen, although the difference disappeared at the maximum width point of the root.
Literature
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Matsuoka N, Kohriyama T, Ochi K et al (2004) Detection of cervical nerve root hypertrophy by ultrasonography in chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy. J Neurol Sci 219:15–21CrossRefPubMed
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Tazawa K, Matsuda M, Yoshida T et al (2008) Spinal nerve root hypertrophy on MRI: clinical significance in the diagnosis of chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy. Intern Med 47:2019–2024CrossRefPubMed
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Metadata
Title
A cadaveric study of the cervical nerve roots and spinal segments
Authors
Ryoichi Kobayashi
Haku Iizuka
Masahiro Nishinome
Yoichi Iizuka
Hiroshi Yorifuji
Kenji Takagishi
Publication date
01-12-2015
Publisher
Springer Berlin Heidelberg
Published in
European Spine Journal / Issue 12/2015
Print ISSN: 0940-6719
Electronic ISSN: 1432-0932
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00586-015-4070-3

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