Cervical Vertebrae

The cervical vertebrae are the seven bones that make up the cervical spine.

The first cervical vertebra - the atlas - has a ring shape. The middle part of his body separated and fused to the body of the second cervical vertebra, forming his tooth. The remains of the body of the atlas - the lateral masses - are connected by the anterior and posterior arches. There are articular surfaces on the upper and lower surfaces of the lateral masses - the upper ones articulate with the occipital condyles of the occipital bone, and the lower ones with the second cervical vertebra.

The second cervical vertebra - the axial (axis) - has a specific process - the odontoid process (dens), which forms the axis of rotation of the atlas along with the skull. Thanks to this, the head can turn in different directions.

The remaining cervical vertebrae have the same structure as the vertebrae of other parts of the spine, but in each of them there are small round holes in the transverse processes.

Thus, the cervical vertebrae provide mobility of the head and neck due to their structural features.

The vertebrae of the cervical spine (Cervical vertebrae) are the seven bones that make up the human cervical spinal column. The first vertebra, the atlas, is ring-shaped and connected to two other vertebrae. The second vertebra, the axial one, has an odontoid process, which is the axis for rotation of the skull. The remaining cervical vertebrae are also ring-shaped, but are distinguished by the presence of a small round hole in each transverse process.

Vertebrae Cervical

The cervical vertebrae, located in the neck, play a key role in stabilizing the spine. They form the cervical part of the human vertebral column. This article will discuss the anatomy and functions of the cervical vertebrae.

The six cervical vertebrae are the very first vertebrae in the back. The seventh cervical vertebra, the atlantoaxial vertebra, is located in the pharyngeal-diffonal region of the skull on the neck, where it connects with the atlas. It forms the jaw with the odontoid process, which serves as the axis of rotation of the head and neck. The immobile atlasaxial vertebra provides a unique ability to turn the head.

When you turn your head, the neck muscles contract and move the cervical segment of the spinal column. These movements are controlled by the cranial system in the brain. The entire cervical column up to the atlas is formed from seven sixth vertebral sixes. The sixth vertebra has a rather compressed structure - its shape is fused with the previous vertebra so much that only part of its process appears; the vertebra itself consists of three parts: the body, transverse processes and denticles. This helps keep the neck in place so the head can rotate freely.

When we turn our necks, the spine moves relative to each other. The atlas and axial vertebrae, with the help of denticles, provide an axis for rotation of the head. The muscles of the head occur through the skull, and the muscles of the neck produce movement that