Study design: This study analyzed the anatomic relationships between bony structures and soft tissues of the cervicothoracic junction.
Objectives: To provide composite reference data for intrasegmental and intersegmental gradients of anatomic variation within the cervical-thoracic junction.
Summary of background data: Because the risk of soft tissue damage during posterior spinal stabilization, an understanding of bony and soft tissue changes in the cervicothoracic junction is necessary.
Methods: Three-hundred-twenty-four cross-sectional spinal segments from nine spines were analyzed to characterize cervicothoracic junctional anatomy.
Results: There were predictable cranial-to-caudal alterations in both bone and soft tissue anatomy of the cervicothoracic junction. Neural and vascular structures directly anterior to the lateral mass or transverse process and lateral to the pedicle tend to decrease in frequency, whereas measured parameters of the vertebrae increase in size from C5-T3, except for pedicle dimensions that tend to increase at the C7-T1 junction.
Conclusion: The anatomic changes that occur within the cervicothoracic junction are consistent and predictable, and their recognition should lead to a better appreciation of their clinical implications.