Cervical Spine

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Cervical Spine (posterior view)

Atlas - C1 Vertebra

The atlas vertebrae is the most superior vertebra of the spinal column. The atlas vertebra articulates with the skull above and the axis vertebrae below. The atlas vertebra has no vertebrae body or spinous process.

Each vertebra has two facet joints. The joint articulation is between the superior and inferior articular processes of adjacent vertebral bodies. Movement: Flexion, extension, lateral flexion, rotation.

Synovial Plane Joint

Facet Joint/ Zygapophyseal

Movement: rotation with limited flexion/extension In rotation, the atlas, together with the head, rotate around the dens of the axis. This is a movement of the head to the right and to the left.

Synovial, biaxial, pivot joint

The joint between the atlas (C1) and the axis (C2). It comprises three synovial joints: 1)median atlantoaxial and 2) lateral atlantoaxial joints.

Atlanto- Axial joint

Axis- C2

The second vertebra of the cervical spine articulates superiorly with the atlas (C1) and inferiorly with C3.Its most characteristic feature is the prominent superior projection known as the dens axis or odontoid process.

Joints between bodies of adjacent vertebrae from C2-S1 The disc consists of a thick outer ring of fibrous cartilage called annulus (meaning ring), which surrounds an inner gel-like centre known as the nucleus pulposus.

Disc function: - allows slight movement of the vertebral column and acts as a ligament to hold the vertebrae together - fibrocartilaginous cushion for shock absorption while walking, running, bending, twisting - prevents friction between two moving vertebrae

Fibrocartilages Joint

Intervertebral disc

C7 Vertebrae

C7 Is atypical for three reasons. The first is that the spinous process of C7 is the longest and can be easily palpated when the head is flexed forward, which is pretty prominent in this position. The spinous process is not bifid. The foramen transversarium is relatively tiny compared to the size of the transverse process and does not contain the vertebral arteries, just vertebral veins.