Correlation between osteoarthritis of the atlantoaxial facet joint and a high‐riding vertebral artery

Abstract Background A high-riding vertebral artery (HRVA) is an intraosseous anomaly that narrows the trajectory for C2 pedicle screws. The prevalence of a HRVA is high in patients who need surgery at the craniovertebral junction, but reports about HRVAs in subaxial cervical spine disorders are limited. We sought to determine the prevalence of HRVAs among patients with subaxial cervical spine disorders to elucidate the potential risk for VA injury in subaxial cervical spine surgery. Methods We included 215 patients, 94 were with a main lesion from C3 to C7 (subaxial group) and 121 were with a main lesion from T1 to L5 (thoracolumbar group). A HRVA was defined as a maximum C2 pedicle diameter of