Anatomy

Cervical Spine Anatomy

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Cervical Spine Anatomy, C-Spine Anatomy, Cervical Vertebrae, Cervical Spine

  • See Also
  1. Cervical Disc Herniation
  2. Lumbar Spine Anatomy
  3. Spinal Cord Anatomy
  4. Musculoskeletal Anatomy
  5. Cervical Spine Imaging in Acute Traumatic Injury
  6. Cervical Spine Injury
  1. Atlanto-Axial Joint (Atlas and Axis) allows for neck rotation
    1. C1 (Atlas) is a bony ring without a Vertebral body
    2. C2 (Axis) has an odontoid process (dens)
      1. Axis body is tightly bound by the transverse ligament to C1 (supports the C1 lateral bodies)
      2. The C2 odontoid protrudes through the C1 (atlas) open center
  2. Cervical spinal nerves C1-C7 exit about their corresponding Vertebrae
    1. In transitioning to Thoracic Spine, C8 exits below the C7 Vertebra, and above T1
    2. In contrast, all thoracic and lumbar spinal nerves exit below their corresponding Vertebrae
  3. Cervical nerve root
    1. Motor Nerve roots (anterior, ventral)
    2. Sensory Nerve roots (posterior, dorsal)
  4. Neural foramina
    1. Contains cervical nerve root
    2. Uncovertebral joint borders foramen anteriorly
    3. Facet joint borders foramen posteriorly
  5. Intervertebral disc
    1. Lies anterior and medial to neural foramina
    2. Disc Herniation may compress the nerve roots near the foramen
    3. Nerves C5 and C6 are the most commonly impinged nerves in the Cervical Spine (90%)
  6. Lateral Herniation compresses the nerve root below
    1. Example: C5-6 disc Herniation compresses C6 root
  7. Curvature
    1. Cervical Spine is concave posteriorly (lordosis, as with the Lumbar Spine)
  8. Cervical neck musculature
    1. NeckLateralMuscles.jpg
  9. General Images
    1. orthoSpineVertebraeCervicalGrayBB84.gifLewis (1918) Gray's Anatomy 20th ed (in public domain at Yahoo or BartleBy)
    2. orthoSpineVertebraeCervicalLateralGrayBB85.gifLewis (1918) Gray's Anatomy 20th ed (in public domain at Yahoo or BartleBy)
    3. orthoSpineCervicalGrayBB305.gifLewis (1918) Gray's Anatomy 20th ed (in public domain at Yahoo or BartleBy)
    4. orthoSpineCervicalGrayBB307.gifLewis (1918) Gray's Anatomy 20th ed (in public domain at Yahoo or BartleBy)
  • Anatomy
  • Seven Cervical Vertebrae
  1. Cervical Vertebra components
    1. Vertebral body
    2. Vertebral foramen
    3. Pedicles
    4. Transverse processes (2, left and right)
    5. Spinous process
  2. Vertebra C1 (Atlas)
    1. orthoSpineVertebraeCervical1AtlasGrayBB86.gifLewis (1918) Gray's Anatomy 20th ed (in public domain at Yahoo or BartleBy)
    2. orthoSpineC1GrayBB306.gifLewis (1918) Gray's Anatomy 20th ed (in public domain at Yahoo or BartleBy)
  3. Vertebra C2 (Axis)
    1. See Occipital Nerve
    2. Axis components
      1. Dens
      2. Odontoid process
    3. Images
      1. orthoSpineVertebraeCervical2GrayBB87.gifLewis (1918) Gray's Anatomy 20th ed (in public domain at Yahoo or BartleBy)
      2. orthoSpineVertebraeCervical2LateralGrayBB88.gifLewis (1918) Gray's Anatomy 20th ed (in public domain at Yahoo or BartleBy)
      3. orthoSpineC1to2XsGrayBB308.gifLewis (1918) Gray's Anatomy 20th ed (in public domain at Yahoo or BartleBy)
      4. orthoSpineCervical1to2LimagentsGrayBB304.gifLewis (1918) Gray's Anatomy 20th ed (in public domain at Yahoo or BartleBy)
  4. Vertebra C7 (Vertebra prominens)
    1. Spinous process long and prominent
    2. C8 cervical nerve root exits below C7 Vertebra
    3. Images
      1. orthoSpineVertebraeCervical7GrayBB89.gifLewis (1918) Gray's Anatomy 20th ed (in public domain at Yahoo or BartleBy)