MORPHOMETRIC ANALYSIS OF ATLAS AND IT'S CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: AN ANATOMICAL STUDY OF INDIAN HUMAN ATLAS VERTEBRA.

The atlas and axis are unique in their morphology and also have a complex vertebral artery relationship.The atlas consists of a neurovascular groove for the vertebral artery located behind each lateral mass at the posterior arch of the atlas. Superiorly the vertebral groove is arched by the posterior atlanto-occipitalmembrane, leaving an opening for the upwards passage of the vertebral artery and the outwards passage of the rst cervical spinal nerve. This prospective observational study was conducted in the Department of Anatomy, Government Medical College, Jammu, a total of 40 dry adult atlas vertebrae were measured with the aim to study the morphology of Indian human atlas vertebra and it's clinical signicance. The mean±SD and range of various parameters of atlas were recorded. It was observed that there was no signicant difference between right and left sides which shows bilateral symmetry. The study concluded that various parameters of atlas are helpful for the different neurosurgeries mainly in the surgical procedures of traumatic neck condition to prevent further injuries to vertebral artery and spinal cord