Corpus: Basivertebral veins

The basivertebral veins are wide, valveless veins that run horizontally inside the vertebral bodies and drain the vertebral bodies. Like the diploic veins, they lie in channels of the substantia spongiosa.

The basivertebral veins emerge into the spinal canal in the centre of the back of the vertebral body and anastomose here with the anterior internal vertebral venous plexus. Ventrally, they perforate the compacta and connect with the anterior vertebral venous plexus.

Via the above-mentioned plexuses and the intervertebral veins, they flow - depending on their height - into the deep cervical veins (internal jugular vein, subclavian vein, vertebral vein, profunda cervical vein) as well as the intercostal, lumbar and sacral veins. At an advanced age, the basivertebral veins become physiologically dilated.

The basivertebral veins are valveless so that they allow blood to drain from the paravertebral organs into the vertebral bodies (vertebral metastasis process) in the event of increased intra-abdominal pressure.