Diagnostics of vertebral artery compression using spiral computed tomography and color duplex sonography

Research objective was to develop the method of assessing vertebral artery compression in spine with computed tomography and color duplex scanning in spinal degenerative diseases. Materials and methods. Complex clinical and radiological examination of 110 patients was carried out. We measured the area of cross section of the canal of the vertebral artery at the level of C 3-C 6 vertebras bileterally, revealed existence and level of its stenosis, calculated the area of cross section of the canal (Sc) at the level of a stenosis. We carried out color duplex scanning determining the area of cross section of an artery (Sa) on the side of pathology and calculated the compression index (CI) using the formula: CI = 1/3 Sc: Sa. When the index was 1.0 or more the compression was absent; the compression of the artery was moderate when CI was from 0.9 to 0.7, the compression was named considerable in CI 0.6 to 0.4 and it was severe in CI