Clinico-anatomical Approach for Instrumentation of the Cervical Spine: A Morphometric Study on Typical Cervical Vertebrae

Introduction: Seven cervical vertebrae form the skeleton of the neck. These bones are the part of the axial skeleton. Four out of seven cervical vertebrae are typical on the basis of commonly prevailing characteristics. These centrally positioned and wellstacked bones support and position the head. The craniovertebral and intervertebral articulations provide the necessary flexibility. Aim: The aim of the present study was to observe the morphology and morphometry of typical cervical vertebral body. Materials and Methods: The present study was carried out on 240 adult dry human typical cervical vertebrae obtained from the Department of Anatomy of four medical colleges in Bihar to observe the dimensions of the vertebral bodies. Result: Height of the vertebral bodies was observed to be larger at lower levels. Maximum anteroposterior length and transverse length were observed at C-6 and C-5, respectively. Conclusion: Knowledge of both morphology and morphometry of typical cervical vertebrae is imperative for developing instrumentation related to the cervical spine. Ethnic variations have been reported in these dimensions.