To evaluate the value of CT angiography (CTA) for vertebral artery (VA) injury in the transverse foramen region of cervical vertebra.

The clinical and CTA imaging data of 56 patients with cervical spine trauma in People's Hospital of Yuxi City from January 2016 to December 2019 were retrospectively analyzed. To observe the VA were or not injuried and their degrees, and the relationship between fracture in transverse foramen region and injured of the VA by applying post processing techniques such as volume reconstruction (VR), image fusion, curved planar reconstruction (CPR), multi-planar reconstruction (MPR), vascular analysis and so on.

There were 35 cases in the positive group of transverse perforation stenosis among the 56 patients, and 21 cases in the negative group. There were 19 cases injuried the VA in the positive group of stenosis, but just 5 cases′VA were injuried in the negative group of stenosis, with statistically significant differences (P<0.05). The risk of VA injuried caused by different degrees of transverse perforation stenosis in the positive stenosis group was statistically significant (P<0.05). The VA damaged distribution were: 3 cases in V1 segment, 16 cases in V2 segment, 5 cases in V3 segment. The degree of luminal stenosis were: 9 cases of mild stenosi, 7 cases of moderate stenosis, 5 cases of severe stenosis, and 3 cases of luminal occlusion.

The CTA of VA can clearly show its anatomical route, degree of injury, range and its adjacent relationship with the fracture end of the transverse foramina of cervical vertebra, which can provide evidences of objective and reliable imaging for spinal surgeons to assess their conditions and select the treatment plans.

Cervical spine; Transverse foramen fracture; Vertebral artery; Tomography, X-ray computed; Angiography