Synonym
Cervical spine, cervical vertebral body, HWK
Introduction
The cervical vertebra describes a part of the entire cervical spine. It is part of the human spine and extends from the head to the beginning of the thoracic spine. In healthy people, it has a physiological lordosis, i.e. the spine is slightly convex and bent forward.
Structure
A total of seven cervical vertebrae together form the cervical spine. Directly below the occipital hole (lat. “Foramen magnum”) of the skull calotte is the first cervical vertebral body, also called the atlas, which supports the entire head.
Historically, it has a ring-shaped structure, the vertebral body is completely lost and is replaced by the tooth (lat. Dens) of the second vertebral body, the so-called axis (“twister”). Within the ring, in the rear area, lies the spinal cord lined with the meninges.
Further forward on the ring, there is a thickened area on both sides, the Massae laterales, which is connected to the articular surfaces of the occipital bone at the top and to the Axis via the articular surfaces (lat. Facies articularis inferior) at the bottom. In addition, there are the lateral projections (lat.
Processus transversi) on the side of the Massae laterales, which contain a small hole for the vertebral artery. Instead of a spinous process, there is a small hump, tuberculum posterius, at the rear of the ring. In addition, there is also a tuberculum anterius, i.e. a hump at the front part of the ring arch.
The axis is the second cervical vertebra and has a massive and rather large vertebral body. A special feature is the tooth of the axis (lat. Dens axis), which is actually the vertebral body of the atlas.
To the left and right of the axis are the transversial processes, the transverse processes, which, like the atlas and the other cervical vertebrae, have a small hole for the cervical artery. Together with the atlas, the axis forms the head joint, which is primarily responsible for the rotational movement of the skull. At the bottom, the axis with its articular process connects to the articular process of the third cervical vertebra.
The other five cervical vertebrae have the usual shape. They have a vertebral body, vertebral joints and a vertebral arch, which forms the vertebral hole (lat. Foramen vertebrae).
In this hole are the spinal cord, the meninges and the vessels running through them. Each vertebral body has a total of 4 small vertebral joints (top and bottom on the right and left), a spinal process (Processus spinosus) and a transverse process (Processus transversus). The seventh cervical vertebra (lat.
Vertebra prominens) offers a small special feature, since here the spinous process protrudes further back than the one above it, making it easy to feel from the outside. This provides an anatomical point of orientation. Between the cervical vertebrae are the intervertebral discs, which buffer axial forces and are important for the mobility of the spine.
Several ligaments and the cervical and back muscles run between the cervical vertebrae and provide support and mobility. Together with the adjacent vertebral bodies (above and below), an exit opening (neuroforamen) is formed for the spinal nerves. A total of eight nerve cords, so-called spinal nerves, emerge from the cervical spine.
The four upper ones form the cervical plexus (lat. Plexus cervicalis), which nourishes the muscles and skin of the neck as well as the diaphragm. The diaphragm is the most important muscle for breathing, which means that independent breathing is no longer possible if the nerves above the fifth cervical vertebra are injured. Together with the nerves of the first thoracic vertebra, the lower four spinal nerves form the brachial plexus. This plexus supplies the skin and the muscles of the chest and arm.
