Abstract: The author studied 600 cases of cervical vertebrae including 1200 foramen transversarium, which are from Northeastern China. The shapes of foramen are as follows: around; b–oval; c—triangle; d—square; e—double foramina (8-shaped) ; f—triple foramina.
This article describes some typical morphological characteristics of vertebrae cervicales in detail. For example, there is a laminal ossium on each sulcus arteri aevertebralis of the first vertebrae cervicales, which forms a canal (this has been reported before) . The directions of the foramen transversarium of the vertebrae cervicales of the first through sixth are different. Some transverse foramina on both sides are different in size. In the first, through sixth vertebra cervicales there are not any foramen transversarium on one of the two sides of some vertebrae. Some transverse foramina on the right or left side are very small (the average of their aperture is 2. 8 mm in diameter. ) . Some transver. se foramina on the left side is not of the same size as that on the right. Some transverse foramina are divided into two parts, the compact bone of articularis processus superior of some vertebrae are overgrown forward, covering the foramen transversarium from the top, or even covering about four fifth of them.

Key words: Cervical vertebra; Osteometry