Typical cervical vertebrae
Of the seven cervical vertebrae, C3 through C6 have typical anatomy, while C7 looks very similar. C1 (atlas) and C2 (axis) have very distinct anatomical features. For a basic anatomic description of the structure a generic vertebra, see vertebrae.
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Gross anatomy
- small, oval-shaped vertebral bodies
- relatively wide vertebral arch with large vertebral foramen
- relatively long, bifid (except for C7) inferiorly pointing spinous processes
- transverse foramina protecting the vertebral arteries and veins
Osteology
Anterior components of the typical cervical vertebra 1:
- body
- posterolateral lip (uncus)
- pedicle
- transverse process
- anterior and posterior tubercle of the transverse process
- intertubercular lamella of the transverse process
- foramen of the transverse process
Posterior components of the typical cervical vertebra 1:
- lamina
- bifid spinous process
- superior articular process
- inferior articular process
Articulations
- intervertebral disc (superior and inferior): interposed between hyaline cartilage on the centrum of the vertebral bodies
- uncovertebral joint 2: the superior surface of the vertebra below curves upward to form a hyaline covered lip. The lip articulates with the inferior bevelled surface of the vertebra above; this occurs bilaterally, and thus the intervertebral foramen in cervical vertebrae is bordered anteriorly by both the cervical vertebrae from above and below (as opposed to above alone)
-
facet (zygapophyseal) joint: articular processes lie at the junction of the pedicle and lamina, and the articular surface can be viewed as a cylinder sliced obliquely
- upper facets face obliquely up and back
- lower facets face down and forward
Blood supply
- arterial: segmental branches from ascending cervical and vertebral arteries
- venous: basivertebral veins, internal vertebral venous plexus, external vertebral venous plexus
Variant anatomy
- variable presence of bifid spinous processes
- variable length of spinous processes
- blocked or fused vertebrae
- accessory transverse foramina
Radiographic features
Plain radiograph
- lateral view: if the patient is supine, this view will allow for all 7 vertebrae to be seen 1
- swimmers view: another lateral view where the patient will have one arm up and one down 1; provides views of the cervicothoracic junction
- AP view 1
- AP open mouth: allows for assessment of C1 and C2 alignment and the dens
- oblique view: for facet joints and intervertebral foramina 1
Related pathology
Related Radiopaedia articles
Anatomy: Spine
-
osteology
- vertebrae
- spinal canal
- cervical spine
- thoracic spine
- lumbar spine
- sacrum
- coccyx
-
anatomical variants
- vertebral body
- neural arch
- transitional vertebrae
- ossicles
- ossification centers
- intervertebral disc
- articulations
- ligaments
- musculature of the vertebral column
- muscles of the neck
- muscles of the back
-
suboccipital muscle group
- rectus capitis posterior major muscle
- rectus capitis posterior minor muscle
- obliquus capitis superior muscle
- obliquus capitis inferior muscle
- splenius capitis muscle
- splenius cervicis muscle
- erector spinae group
- transversospinalis group
- quadratus lumborum muscle
-
suboccipital muscle group
- spinal meninges and spaces
-
spinal cord
- gross anatomy
-
white matter tracts (white matter)
- corticospinal tract
- anterolateral columns
- lateral columns
-
dorsal columns
- fasiculus gracilis (column of Goll)
- fasiculus cuneatus (column of Burdach)
- grey matter
- nerve root
- central canal
- functional anatomy
- spinal cord blood supply
- sympathetic chain