Bones of the neck

The neck is the anatomical region between the base of the cranium superiorly and the clavicles inferiorly and it joins the head to the trunk and limbs, serving as a major conduit for structures passing between them.

The skeleton of the neck is formed by the cervical vertebrae, the hyoid bone, and the manubrium of the sternum which are part of the axial skeleton, as well as the clavicles which are part of the appendicular skeleton.

.Alright, so let’s start with the cervical vertebrae, of which there are 7.

These are the smallest vertebrae, and they form the cervical region of the vertebral column, enclosing the cervical spinal cord and meninges.

Cervical vertebrae can be typical or atypical, and when it comes to the cervical column, the typical vertebrae are C3, C4, C5 and C6, while the atypical vertebrae are C1, C2 and C7.

Ok so, all typical vertebrae have a vertebral body, a vertebral arch and seven individual processes.

The vertebral body is situated anteriorly, and it’s small and longer from side to side than anteroposteriorly.

It has a concave superior surface and a convex inferior surface.

These surfaces are the vertebral endplates, which help form the intervertebral joints together with the intervertebral discs and the adjacent vertebra.

On the superior surface, there’s an elevated superolateral margin called the uncus of the body, or the uncinate process.

Next, there’s the vertebral arch, which is located posterior to the vertebral body and is formed by two pedicles and two laminae.

The pedicles are short, thick processes that project posteriorly from the vertebral body to meet the laminae, which are two broad, flat plates of bone, that unite in the midline and complete the vertebral arch.

The vertebral arch and the posterior surface of the vertebral body form the walls of the vertebral foramen through which the spinal cord and its meninges pass.