Cervical spine

The cervical spine is C shaped with its curve facing towards the back of neck. The spinal area in neck is called cervical spine and it is made up of 7 cervical vertebra.

The cervical spine is a dynamic structure tasked with protecting nervous innervation to the entire body while also maintaining range of motion for the head and neck.

The atlas (C1) and the axis (C2) differ markedly from other cervical vertebrae.

The cervical spine is composed of seven vertebrae (C1–C7), which provide mobility, flexion, extension, and rotatory motion of the neck. The cervical spine is divided into upper, subaxial, and cervicothoracic regions.

see upper cervical spine

see subaxial cervical spine

The normal anatomy of the cervical spine consists of 7 cervical vertebrae separated by intervertebral disks and joined by a complex network of ligaments. These ligaments keep individual bony elements behaving as a single unit.

The cervical spine naturally has a lordotic curve.

see Cervical kyphosis.

View the cervical spine as 3 distinct columns: anterior, middle, and posterior.

The anterior column

The middle column is composed of the posterior longitudinal ligament and the posterior one third of the vertebral bodies, the annulus and intervertebral disks. The posterior column contains all of the bony elements formed by the pedicles, transverse processes, articulating facets, laminae, and spinous processes.

The anterior and posterior longitudinal ligaments maintain the structural integrity of the anterior and middle columns. The posterior column is held in alignment by a complex ligamentous system, including the nuchal ligament complex, capsular ligaments, and the ligamenta flava.

If one column is disrupted, other columns may provide sufficient stability to prevent spinal cord injury. If 2 columns are disrupted, the spine may move as 2 separate units, increasing the likelihood of spinal cord injury.

Cervical Alignment

see cervical disc.

see Cervical spine injury.

see Cervical spine disorder.

The Cervical Spine Research Society is a multidisciplinary organization that provides a forum for the exchange of ideas and promotes clinical and basic science research of the cervical spine.

The Cervical Spine 5th Edition

Cervical spine series.

Cervical spine CT scan