[Blood content of the vertebrobasilar basin during experimental trauma of the cervical portion of the spine].

The author measured the blood content of the vertebrobasilar bed in rats with a cervical trauma induced by backward bending and simultaneous rotation of the neck. The blood content of the vessels was found to undergo a phasic reduction at both the cerebral and spinal levels depending on the duration of the posttraumatic period. It was demonstrated that a neuro-reflectory spasm of the extracranial portion of the vertebral arteries is the cause underlying the development and evolution of the above changes in the circulation system in the given injury.