Anatomy, Head and Neck: Cervical Vertebrae

Excerpt

The spine, or vertebral column, is a segmental set of 33 bones and associated soft tissues in the subcranial portion of the axial skeleton. It is subdivided into 5 regions based on curvature and morphology: cervical, thoracic, lumbar, sacral, and coccygeal (see Image. Vertebral Column).

The cervical spine has 7 articulating vertebrae, whereas the thoracic has 12, and the lumbar has 5. Despite their similar morphology, these regions have variable flexibility, movement, and joint articulation, giving rise to the spine's S-shaped curvature.

Meanwhile, the sacrum and the coccyx are 2 sets of fused caudal vertebrae that convey no motion. The sacrum has 5 fused vertebrae, while the coccyx has 4.

The cervical spine comprises 7 vertebrae (C1 to C7) and is divided into 2 major segments. The 2 most cephalad vertebrae, the atlas (C1) and the axis (C2), form the craniocervical junction (CCJ) together with the occiput. The 5 cervical vertebrae caudad, C3 to C7, comprise the subaxial spine and are referred to by number (see Image. Cervical Vertebrae). The cervical spine supports the weight of the cranium and head and neck motion.