Abstract
In recent years, cervical foraminotomy under a surgical microscope has been performed in the treatment of cervical radiculopathy. The purpose of this study is to reveal the relation between cervical nerve roots and their surrouding structures using eight sets of cadaveric cervical spines. The cervical intervertebral foramen had a tubular structure with its entrance being the narrowest, while the nerve root sheath had a funnel-like shape with the branching site being the largest. In the foramen, the C4/5 disc located anteriorly to the C5 nerve root, while the C5/6 and C6/7 discs at the axillar portion of the C6 and C7 nerve roots, respectively. On the other hand, the C8 nerve root was separated from the C7/T1 disc in the foramen. The intrathecal C6 and 7 nerve rootlets passed behind the two successive discs to reach their respective intervertebral foramen. In the procedure of foraminotomy, it seems essential to have an adequate knowledge regarding the minute anatomy of the cervical intervertebral foramina.
