Advanced Vertebral Artery Quiz

Q1. Why can vertebral artery dissection cause posterior circulation ischemia?

• It directly obstructs the superior sagittal sinus
• It interrupts only external carotid branches
• It prevents cerebrospinal fluid production
• It can reduce flow or produce thromboembolism to vertebrobasilar territories

Q2. Why is the V3 segment particularly relevant to head and neck movement?

• It passes through the rigid thoracic aorta
• It follows a mobile curved course around C1
• It is fixed within the carotid canal
• It lies entirely within the pons

Q3. How can PICA or vertebral artery ischemia produce a lateral medullary syndrome?

• They supply only the anterior spinal cord below the lumbar region
• Their branches supply the lateral medulla
• They supply only the cerebral cortex
• They directly innervate cranial muscles

Q4. What does vertebral artery dominance describe?

• Both vertebral arteries arise from the basilar artery
• One vertebral artery becomes a vein
• Only one vertebral artery enters the neck
• One vertebral artery is larger or contributes more flow than the other

Q5. What is vertebral artery hypoplasia?

• An acquired dilation of the basilar artery
• A duplicated internal carotid artery
• A congenitally small caliber vertebral artery
• A venous malformation at the foramen magnum

Q6. Why is the vertebral artery important during procedures near the upper cervical spine?

• It runs inside the cervical spinal cord
• It lies entirely anterior to the trachea
• It remains within the thoracic cavity
• It has close relationships with C1 and C2 bony landmarks

Q7. Which anatomical feature helps explain why vertebral artery injury near C1 can be difficult to control?

• It is enclosed within the optic canal
• Its deep curved atlantal course lies close to bone and venous structures
• It lies freely beneath the skin
• It runs through the middle ear

Q8. How can a vertebral artery lesion affect the anterior spinal artery circulation?

• The anterior spinal artery is a cerebral vein
• The vertebral artery drains directly into the anterior spinal artery
• The anterior spinal artery arises only from the internal carotid artery
• The vertebral arteries contribute to formation of the anterior spinal artery

Q9. What is an important anatomical consequence of a vertebral artery terminating in PICA?

• That vertebral artery does not contribute directly to basilar artery formation
• Both posterior cerebral arteries are absent
• The internal carotid artery becomes the basilar artery
• PICA no longer supplies the cerebellum

Q10. Which statement best integrates vertebral artery anatomy?

• It arises from the basilar artery and descends to the subclavian artery
• It is a subclavian branch that traverses the cervical region and contributes to the vertebrobasilar circulation
• It is an internal carotid branch supplying only the frontal lobe
• It is a dural artery terminating in the superior sagittal sinus