Perspectives in Medical Research

Abstract

Background: The embryologic development of the human spine is an enormously complex regulated process. In the embryonic life, differentiation and re-segmentation of the sclerotomes is very important. Any abnormality during the process of development leads to congenital malformed vertebra. Abnormality may also be acquired or surgical.
During routine demonstration for the undergraduate students of 2013-2014 batch , a specimen of fused cervico thoracic vertebra was found and studied in the Department of Anatomy, Prathima Institute of Medical Sciences, Karimnagar.
Knowledge about the alignment is very important since spinal roots come through the inter vertebral foramen, and any variation in the structure leads to compression of those roots resulting in radiculopathy or myelopathy depending upon the severity.