Concept
Cervical vertebrae
Related concepts (25)
Spondylolisthesis
Spondylolisthesis is the displacement of one spinal vertebra compared to another. While some medical dictionaries define spondylolisthesis specifically as the forward or anterior displacement of a vertebra over the vertebra inferior to it (or the sacrum), it is often defined in medical textbooks as displacement in any direction. Spondylolisthesis is graded based upon the degree of slippage of one vertebral body relative to the subsequent adjacent vertebral body.
Anatomical plane
An anatomical plane is a hypothetical plane used to transect the body, in order to describe the location of structures or the direction of movements. In human and animal anatomy, three principal planes are used: The sagittal plane or lateral plane (longitudinal, anteroposterior) is a plane parallel to the sagittal suture. It divides the body into left and right. The coronal plane or frontal plane (vertical) divides the body into dorsal and ventral (back and front, or posterior and anterior) portions.
Hangman's fracture
Hangman's fracture is the colloquial name given to a fracture of both pedicles, or partes interarticulares, of the axis vertebra (C2). The injury mainly occurs from falls, usually in elderly adults, and motor accidents mainly due to impacts of high force causing extension of the neck and great axial load onto the C2 vertebra. In a study based in Norway, 60% of reported cervical fractures came from falls and 21% from motor-related accidents.
Transverse ligament of atlas
In anatomy, the transverse ligament of the atlas is a broad, though ligament which arches across the ring of the atlas (first cervical vertebra) posterior to the dens to keep the dens (odontoid process) in contact with the atlas. The length of the ligament is variable; its mean length is 2 cm. The ligament broadens and thickens medially. The anterior medial aspect of the ligament is lined by a thin layer of articular cartilage.
Human head
In human anatomy, the head is at the top of the human body. It supports the face and is maintained by the skull, which itself encloses the brain. The human head consists of a fleshy outer portion, which surrounds the bony skull. The brain is enclosed within the skull. There are 22 bones in the human head. The head rests on the neck, and the seven cervical vertebrae support it. The human head typically weighs between Over 98% of humans fit into this range. There have been odd incidences where human beings have abnormally small or large heads.