Ligaments are strong connective tissues that attach bones to other bones. The nerves that come out of the cervical spine go to the arms and hands. These spinal nerves group together to form the main nerves that go to the limbs and organs. The nerves pass through the neural foramina. Two large nerves branch off the spinal cord from each vertebra, one on the left and one on the right. The spinal cord travels down from the brain through the spinal column. Just as the skull protects the brain, the bones of the spinal column protect the spinal cord. The spinal cord is a similar to a long wire made up of millions of nerve fibers. The hollow tube formed by the bony ring on the back of the spinal column surrounds the spinal cord as it passes through the spine. Bone spurs that form on the facet joint can project into the tunnel, narrowing the hole and pinching the nerve. A facet joint sits in back of the foramen. A bulged or herniated disc can narrow the opening and put pressure on the nerve. The intervertebral disc (described later) sits directly in front of the opening. ( Foramina is the plural term.) The two nerves that leave the spine at each vertebra go through the foramina, one on the left and one on the right. On the left and right side of each vertebra is a small tunnel called a neural foramen. It allows the ends of bones to move against each other smoothly, without friction. Articular cartilage is a smooth, rubbery material that covers the ends of most joints. The surfaces of the facet joints are covered by articular cartilage. The ones on top connect to the vertebra above the ones below join with the vertebra below. Except for the very top and bottom of the spinal column, each vertebra has two facet joints on each side. These joints connect the vertebrae together in a chain but slide against one another to allow the neck to move in many directions. This hole, called the transverse foramen, provides a passageway for arteries that run up each side of the neck to supply the back of the brain with blood.īetween each pair of vertebrae are two joints called facet joints. Unlike the rest of the spine, the neck vertebrae have a hole that passes down through each transverse process. The atlas has the widest transverse processes of all the cervical vertebrae. These bony projections are called transverse processes. Spinous ProcessesĮach vertebra in the spine has two bony knobs that point out to the side, one on the left and one on the right. At the base of the neck where the cervical and thoracic spines join together, you'll feel another large spinous process. The largest bump near the top of your spine is the spinous process of C2. These projections, called spinous processes, can be felt as you rub your fingers up and down the back of your spine. Cervical VertebraĪ bony knob projects out at the point where the two lamina bones join together at the back of the spine. The laminae provide a protective roof over the spinal cord. When the vertebrae are stacked on top of each other, the bony rings form a hollow tube that surrounds the spinal cord. The lamina bones form the outer rim of the bony ring. Two lamina bones join the pedicles to complete the ring. Two pedicle bones connect directly to the back of the vertebral body. A bony ring attaches to the back of the vertebral body. The main section of each cervical vertebra, from C2 to C7, is formed by a round block of bone, called the vertebral body. Axis DensĮach vertebra is made of the same parts. The joints of the axis give the neck most of its ability to turn to the left and right. The dens points up and fits through a hole in the atlas. The axis has a large bony knob on top, called the dens. The atlas sits on top of the C2 vertebra. Compared to other vertebrae, the atlas also has much wider bony projections pointing out to each side. The opening is large because the spinal cord is wider where it first exits the brain and skull. Two thickened bony arches form a large hole through the center of the atlas. The base of the skull sits on top of C1, also called the atlas. The cervical spine curves slightly inward and ends where C7 joins the top of the thoracic spine (the chest area). The cervical spine starts where the top vertebra (C1) connects to the bottom of the skull. Doctors often refer to these vertebrae as C1 to C7. The first seven vertebrae make up the cervical spine. The spinal column is the body's main upright support. Vertebrae are stacked on top of one another to form the spinal column. The human spine is made up of 24 spinal bones, called vertebrae. This section highlights important structures in each category. The important parts of the cervical spine include: