Clinical anatomy : official journal of the American Association of Clinical Anatomists & the British Association of Clinical Anatomists
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Atlas bridges are bony outgrowths over the third segment of the vertebral artery. They may exist as incipient, incomplete, or complete bridges, converting the groove into a deep sulcus, incomplete, or complete foramen respectively. These bridges and their associated foramina display bilateral and sex differences in their prevalence and type. ⋯ Complete bridges were more prevalent in females and were more often present on the right side. This pattern seems to mirror the sexual predilection of vertebral artery compression syndromes. Gender roles may have an influence on the occurrence of these bridges and therefore the syndromes as well.