Variations of transverse foramens of cervical vertebrae: a 3-dimensional multidetector CT study

Aim: The objective of this study was to display the transverse foramens (TFs) of cervical vertebrae with multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) and to identify their variations. Materials and methods: This study included 127 (63 women and 64 men) patients. The mean age was 46.4 years. MDCT images of cervical vertebrae were formed with volume rendering (VR) and multiplanar reconstruction. VR images were formed for each cervical vertebra between C1 and C7 and they were examined for the shape, diameter, and congenital variations of TFs. The TF diameters of each cervical vertebra were measured from MDCT images. Results: The widest TF diameters were measured at the C1 level and the narrowest at the C7 level. TF diameters were wider on the left side. The most frequent variation was the duplication of TF, which was noted in 117 (13.1%) cervical vertebrae in total. Hypoplasia of TF was seen in 93 (10.4%) cervical vertebrae. Diameter asymmetry of right and left TFs were other frequent variations. Conclusion: TF variations can be easily assessed in cervical MDCT examinations. Determination of foraminal variations before surgical interventions on cervical vertebrae could be an important guide for surgeons.