17-4-19

Cervical vertebrae
DR . DEVI
2
 Introduction 3

 Identified by the presence of foramina

transversaria
 Seven cervical vertebrae
 3rd – 6th are typical
 1st, 2nd, 7th – atypical
 Typical cervical vertebrae 4
 Body
Foramen transversarium
 Vertebral foramen Costotransverse bar
 Vertebral arch Ant tubercle
Post tubercle
Pedicle
Superior articular
facet
Vertebral canal
lamina

Vertebral arch
Spine
 Body 5

 Small & broader

 Concave superior surface with
upward projecting lip
 Anterior surface is beveled
 6
 Inferior surface is
saddle shaped
 Anterior border
projects downward &
hide intervertebral disc
 articular column
 Inter vertebral foramina
(superior /inferior
vertebral notches in
pedicle)
Vertebral foramen
7
 Larger than body
 Triangular in shape

Transverse
foramen

Vertebral
foramen

Bifid spine
 Vertebral arch 8
 Pedicles are directed backwards and laterally
 Superior and inferior notches are of equal sizes
 Laminae are relatively long and narrow, thinner above than below
 superior & inferior articular processes – form articular pillars , project
laterally at the junction of pedicle and the lamina
Transverse process :
9
 Pierced by Foramen
transversaria
 Each TP has two roots- ends
as tubercle – ant & post
tubercle
 Joined by costotransverse
bar
 Costal element = tubercles +
CT bar
 Site for articulation with ribs
 Ant tubercle of 6th CV is large
– carotid tubercle
 10
 Spine – short & bifid
 Notch is filled by ligamentum nuchae
 Gives origin to deep muscles of the back of the neck
Attachments and relations 11

 Anterior & posterior longitudinal

ligaments are attached to the
upper and lower borders of the
body
 Upper borders and lower parts of the anterior
surfaces of the lamina provide attachment to the 12
ligament flava
 13

Foramen transversarium :
 Vertebral artery
 Vertebral veins
 Branch of inferior cervical
ganglion
 14

 Anterior tubercle: scalenus

anterior , longus capitis ,
oblique part of the longus
colli
 Posterior tubercle :
scalenus medius, scalenus 15
posterior, levator scapulae,
splenius cervicis,
longissimus
cervicis,iliocostalis cervicis
 Costotransverse bar – anterior primary rami of the
corresponding cervical nerve 16
Ossification 17
 Ossifies from 3 primary & 6 secondary centers
Typical Cervical Vertebrae C3, C4, C5, C6 18
3 3
1. Body 2 2
Intervertebral disc
2. Transverse process
4 5
1 5 4
8 8
3. Ant. Tubercle
4. Post. Tubercle
6
5. foramen transversarium 10 7
Vertebral vessels (a. & v.) 7
6. superior Articular facet 7
7. post. Lamina
Ligamentum flava 9
8. Pedicle
9. Spine (short & bifid)
Interspinous ligament
Ligamantum nuchae (tip)
10 Vertebral canal
Spinal cord
First cervical vertebra 19
First cervical vertebra- Atlas 20

 Ring shaped
 No body
 No spine
 Short ant arch
 Long posterior
arch
 Rt & Lt masses
 Transverse
process
 Posterior arch – longer than ant arch
21
 Median posterior tubercle
 Lateral mass: superior articular facet, groove
 Atlanto-occipital joint
 Inferior surface : inferior articular facet,
circular, more or less flat, directed 22
downward , medially and backward
 Articulates with corresponding axis vertebra
to form atlanto-axial joint
 Medial surface has a roughened tubercle-
transverse ligament
 transverse process projects laterally from
lateral mass – long , acts as lever for
rotatory movements of head , pierced by
foramen transversarium
Attachments of Atlas vertebrae
23
 Anterior tubercle- anterior longitudinal ligament
 On each side –longus colli
 Upper border of the anterior arch gives attachment to the anterior
atlanto-occipital membrane 24
 25
 Posterior tubercle provides attachment to the
ligamentum nuchae in the median plane and gives
origin to the rectus capitis posterior minor on each
side
 Groove on the
upper surface of 26
the posterior
arch is occupied
by the vertebral
artery and by
the first cervical
nerve
 Transverse process- rectus capitus lteralis, superior oblique,
inferior oblique , levator scapulae, splenius cervicis, scalenius 27
medius
 28

 Ossification :

7 years

3 years
 29
1. Ant. Arch 11
Ant. atlanto-occipital membrane
2. Post. Arch
Post. atlanto-occipital membrane 1 1 1
3. Transverse process.
4. superior articular facet
5. Neural canal. 3 6 4 9
Spinal cord
4 6 3
6. Foramen transversarium
Vertebral vessles 5
7. Groove for vertebral a. 7 7
8. Tubercle for tr. Ligament. 2 2
9. Facet for dense of axis
10.Post. Tubercle
2
Ligamantum nuchae
11. Ant. Tubercle
10
Ant. Longitudinal ligament
Second cervical vertebra- Axis 30

 Identified by the presence of dens or odontoid

process (strong tooth like process projecting
upwards from the body )
Axis – Body & Dens 31

 Superior surface of the body- fused with Dens

 Dens articulates anteriorly with ant arch of atlas,
posteriorly with transverse ligament of atlas
 Superior articular facets
 Inferior surface – prominent ant margin which
projects downwards
Axis- vertebral arch 32

 Pedicle- superior articular facet (circular directed

upward and laterally)
 Inferior surface – deep wide inf vertebral notch
 Lamina- superior vertebral notch behind the sup
articular process
 Lamina – thick & strong
 33

 Transverse process

 Spine : large , thick, very strong, grooved inferiorly,

bifid
Attachments of Axis vertebrae 34
 35

Median atlanto
axial ligament
 36

 Ant surface of body- longus coli, ant longitudinal

ligament
 Post surface of body-post longitudinal ligament,
cruciate ligament, membrana tectoria
 Tip of transverse process- levatoor scapulae, sclenus
medius
 Spine –ligamentum nuchae, vertebral muscles
 37
1. Dense = odontoid process
2. superior Articular facet 1
3. Neural canal.
Spinal cord
4. Spine (short , not bifid)
Interspinous ligament 9
Ligamantum nuchae (tip) 2 2
5. Lamina
Ligamantum flava
6. Foramen trnasversarium. 6 5 5 6
Vertebral vessles (a. &v.)
5
7. Alar ligamant 4
8. Apical ligament.
9. Transverse groove for tr.
ligament
10.Post. Longitudinal ligament.
 Cervical 7(C7) 38

Spinousprocessnot
bifid, largeproject Vertebral Prominents
posteriorly
Seventh cervical vertebra – Vertebra 39

Prominens
 Long ,thick, horizontal spinous process
 Not bifid , ends in a tubercle
 Transverse process- large , post root is larger than
ant
 Ant tubercle is absent
 Small foramen transversarium - sometimes double/
absent
Attachment of vertebrae prominens 40

 Spine - ligamentum nuchae, trapezius , rhomboideus

minor, serratus posterior superior, splenius capitus ,
semispinalis thoracis , spinalis cervicis, multifundus
 Transverse foramen: accessory vertebral vein,
 Posterior tubercle- suprapleural membrane
 Lower border- levator costarum
 41

Ossification :
 Similar to typical to cervical vertebra
 Separate center for each costal process appears
during sixth month of intrauterine life and fuses with
the body and transverse process during fifth to sixth
years of life
 7th Cervical Vertebrae
42

1
1. Body 2 3 3 2
6 6
Intervertebral disc
4 8
2. Transverse process
3. foramen transversarium 5 5
Vertebral vein only 5
4. superior Articular facet
5. post. Lamina
Ligamentum flava 7
6. Pedicle
7. Spine (long & not bifid)
Interspinous ligament
Ligamantum nuchae (tip)
8. Vertebral canal
Spinal cord
Conclusion 43

Characteristics C3-c6 c1 c2 c7
Body

Ant arch

Post arch

Spinous process Bifid No Bifid Single long

Superior Bean shaped Bean shaped oval Bean shaped

articular facet
 44

Thank you !