The cervical vertebrae are the smallest members in the vertebral column. There are seven bones in this part of the vertebral column, take a closer look here in our atlas: [ Ссылка ]
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The cervical vertebrae are smaller in size relative to the more inferior members of the vertebral column. As mentioned, there are seven individual bones; the first, second and seventh are uniquely shaped, whereas the third to the sixth are relatively similar in form.
C1, otherwise known as the atlas, is the first cervical vertebrae as well as the first vertebrae in the spinal column. It supports the skull which sits directly above it and it only has an anterior arch and a posterior arch, with no body or spinous process.
The axis or C2 as it is clinically called, has its odontoid process (dens) located on its superior surface. It has a large bifid spinous process and in contrast to C1, a small transverse process which houses its foramen transversarium.
The third through sixth cervical vertebrae have relatively small vertebral bodies with posterior and lateral pedicles.
The short spinous processes are bifid in shape while the vertebral foramina are somewhat triangular in shape. Within each transverse process there is a transverse foramen/foramen transversarium, which houses the vertebral artery from the level of C6 upwards. The anterior and posterior tubercles are the anterior and posterior portions of the transverse processes respectively.
0:36 Morphology of vertebrae C3-C6
1:16 Morphology of the atlas or vertebra C1
2:12 Morphology of the axis or vertebra C2
2:36 Morphology of the vertebra C7 (vertebra prominens)
Want to test your knowledge on cervical vertebral column? Take this quiz:
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Read more on each member of the cervical vertebrae, including information on their associated ligaments in this article:
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For more engaging video tutorials, interactive quizzes, articles and an atlas of Human anatomy and histology, go to [ Ссылка ]
