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Posterior atlanto-occipital and atlanto-axial area and its surgical interest
Newton José Godoy Pimenta1, Sebastião Silva Gusmão2, Pierre Kehrli3
1Universite de Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada.
Unlabelled:
Classic anatomical studies describe two membranes - atlanto-occipital and atlanto-axial in the posterior aspect of the craniocervical region. During many surgical procedures in this area, however, we have not found such membranes.
Objective:
To clarify the anatomical aspects and structures taking part of the posterior atlanto-occipital and atlanto-axial area.
Method:
Analysis of histological cuts of three human fetuses and anatomical studies of 8 adult human cadavers.
Results:
In both atlanto-occipital and atlanto-axial areas, we have observed attachment between suboccipital deep muscles and the spinal cervical dura. However, anatomical description of such attachments could not be found in textbooks of anatomy.
Conclusion:
Our study shows the absence of the classical atlanto-occipital and atlanto-axial membranes; the occipito-C1 and C1-C2 posterior intervals are an open area, allowing aponeurotic attachment among cervical dura mater and posterior cervical muscles.
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