Technique for removal of the vertebral arteries.

Abstract

Examination of vertebral arteries is often neglected in most hospital and coroner's necropsies. This is undoubtedly a reflection of the relative inaccessibility of these vessels, but this neglect belies their pathological importance. Although there have been several pathological studies of the vertebral arteries, none of these studies described a method for removing the arteries that would be suitable for routine practice. Hutchinson and Yates investigated atheroma of the cervical portion of the vertebral arteries and recom- ,mended complete removal of the spine from the atlas to the seventh cervical vertebra and subsequent decalcification.' Vanezis, who investigated vertebral artery trauma, suggested removal of the neck, together with a portion of the base of the skull, includ- ing the foramen magnum and decalcification for six to eight weeks.2 Although these methods are suitable for research purposes, they require a relatively lengthy period of decalcification before examination and are clearly too time consuming for everyday use. Gresham and Turner recommended opening the ver- tebroarterial canal with sharp pointed snippers, but gave no details of the technique to be used, nor did they specify the size of the snippers.3 We have used sharp pointed clippers in various mortuaries and have found that they were invariably too large and copyright.