Methodology to Quantify Human Cervical Spine Uncovertebral Joint Anatomy

Abstract

The uncovertebral joints appear in the adult human cervical spinal column. While the descriptions of this structure have been reported, methods to quantify the dimensions of these joints are lacking. Therefore, in this study a preliminary attempt was made to develop a methodology to quantify the three-dimensional anatomical details of these joints in the adult human cervical spine using sequential cryomicrotome anatomic sections. Bilateral dorsal to ventral length, medial to lateral depth, and caudal to cranial height measurements were obtained from C2-T1 levels. The well developed larger joints were observed in the mid to lower cervical (C3-C7) regions and the smaller joints were noted in the most cranial and caudal (C2-C3, C7-T1) levels. Uncovertebral joints in the mid to lower cervical region extended further ventrally compared to the most cranial and caudal levels. The height of the uncovertebral joints was equal to the lateral height of the intervertebral discs throughout the extent of the joint. The mean overall medial to lateral depth of the joint was 3.8 mm (± 1.8). These quantitative three-dimensional descriptions assist in describing uncovertebral joints in stress analysis based finite element models to understand its effects on the cervical spine biomechanical behavior.