Cervical spine
The cervical spine (often shortened to C-spine) is the upper part of the spine extending from the skull base to the thorax at the level of the first vertebra with a rib attached to it. It normally consists of seven vertebrae. Its main function is to support the skull and maintain the relative positions of the brain and spinal cord.
For a basic description of the anatomy of a generic vertebra, see vertebrae.
Gross anatomy
Although C1 (atlas) and C2 (axis) have unique characteristics and C7 (also termed vertebra prominens) deviates from the overall pattern, general characteristics of the cervical vertebrae include:
- small, oval-shaped vertebral bodies
- relatively wide vertebral arch with large vertebral foramen
- small, triangular vertebral canal
- relatively long, bifid (except for C7) inferiorly pointing spinous processes
- transverse foramina protecting the vertebral arteries and veins
A more detailed description can be found in the article on typical cervical vertebrae.
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