The Artery of Adamkiewicz: Anatomy and Considerations in Spine Surgery - A Review of the Literature

The artery of Adamkiewicz (AKA) provides blood supply to the thoracolumbar spinal cord. Any disruption of the AKA can lead to the anterior spinal artery (ASA) syndrome, with devastating systematic and neurologic complications for the patient. This is a narrative review of the anatomy of AKA, the characteristics of ASA syndrome and the role of radiologic techniques in diagnosis and treatment. A detailed search of the PubMed database was conducted from January 2000 until April 2020, to locate articles relevant to our study. The references of the included studies were also retrieved in order not to miss any information. The ASA syndrome can present as a possible post-operative complication after minimally invasive or open surgeries of multiple specialties that involve the field of spine. Risk factors associated with ASA syndrome include; kyphosis of the patient, corresponding spinal surgical approach, intraoperative hypotension, multiple ligations of the AKA, a left side approach and a 360-combined or revision surgery. The incidence varies among different operations. Many different imaging modalities have been used in preoperative plan, including but not limited to computed tomography angiography, magnetic resonance angiography, and subtraction angiography. The use of computed tomography angiography or magnetic resonance angiography preoperatively can play a major role in the prevention of the ASA syndrome. However, more research needs to be done before making any final assumptions.