Background: Computer-assisted navigation (CAN) may guide spinal instrumentation, and requires alignment of patient anatomy to imaging. Iterative-Closest-Point algorithms register anatomical and imaging datasets, which may fail in the presence of significant geometric congruence leading to inaccurate navigation. We computationally quantify geometric congruence in posterior spinal exposures, and identify predictors of potential navigation inaccuracy. Methods: Midline posterior exposures were performed from C1-S1 in four human cadavers. An optically-based CAN generated surface maps of the posterior elements at each level. Maps were reconstructed to include bilateral hemilamina, or unilateral hemilamina with/without the base of the spinous process. Maps were fitted to symmetrical geometries (cylindrical/spherical/planar) using computational modelling, and the degree of model fit quantified. Results: Increased cylindrical/spherical/planar symmetry was seen in the subaxial cervical spine relative to the high-cervical and thoracolumbar spine (p<0.001). Inclusion of the base of the spinous process decreased symmetry independent of spinal level (p<0.001). Registration with bilateral vs. unilateral hemilamina did not significantly reduce geometric symmetry. Conclusions: Geometric congruence is most evident at C1 and the subaxial cervical spine, warranting greater vigilance in navigation accuracy verification. At all levels, inclusion of the base of the spinous process in unilateral registration decreases the likelihood of geometric symmetry and navigation error.