Abstract: Objective　To observe the relationship between the vertebral artery and the 9th to 12th cranial nerve and to investigate the correlation between hypertension and cervical spondylopathy.    Methods   Fifteen cranial-neck specimens were dissected and stripped to observe the relationship between the intracranial segment of vertebral artery, posterior inferior cerebellar arteries and the Ⅸ to Ⅻ cranial nerves as well as the relationship between the intracranial segment of vertebral artery and medulla oblongata,  the corresponding data were measured.　Results　(1) the vertebral artery run obliquely after passing through the dura mater, and it lied in front of root filaments of the Ⅸ and Ⅻ cranial nerves near the lateral side of medulla oblongata, the root filaments crossed the vertebral artery posteriorly, the right vertebral artery in contact with the Ⅺ and Ⅻ cranial nerve, and not with the Ⅸ and 10th cranial nerves were 7 cases (7/15, 46.7%) in the right, 11 cases（11/15, 73.3%）in the left respectively. (2)  the Ⅸ and Ⅻ cranial nerves had no any contact with posterior inferior cerebellar artery in 1 case in the right , 5 cases（5/15，33.3%） in the left；the right posterior inferior cerebellar artery was in contact with the Ⅸ and Ⅹ cranial nerves without contacting with Ⅺ and Ⅻ cranial nerves in 4 cases (4/15, 26.7%); (3) the left vertebral artery was contacting with ventral side of medulla oblongata in 11 cases (11/15,73.3%), while the right vertebral artery had no any contacting with that in 4 cases (4/15, 26.7%);  The right vertebral artery located more inclined orientation and situated in the anterior aspect of medulla oblongata paralleling with right margin of it.　Conclusions　The contacting relationship between vertebral artery and the Ⅺ to Ⅻ nerve may be the morphological bases of hypertension accompanied by occipital pain. The posterior inferior cerebella artery is also in close relation with the Ⅸ to Ⅻ cranial nerve filaments with tortuously wind round each other. When suffering from hypertension, this complicated relationship would be an important factor to stimulate the root filaments of related cranial nerves and then produce both the corresponding occipital-neck pain. Therefore the neurotrophic drugs for nourishing nerves should be used properly and the corresponding treatment can also be used in treating hypertension simultaneously.

Key words: Vertebral artery,  ,  , Ⅸ to Ⅻ cranial nerve,  ,  , Hypertension,  ,  , Cervical spondylopathy