Morphology of the articular processes of the sixth cervical vertebra in humans

Abstract

With the exception of the 7th vertebra, both past and recent literature describe the lower cervical vertebrae as possessing similar morphological characteristics (Soemmering, 1794; Cruveilhier, 1862; Luschka, 1862; Henle, 1871; Braus-Elze, 1954; Romanes, 1981; Williams et al. 1989; Benninghof, 1994). Gross anatomical differences from the 3rd to the 7th cervical vertebrae comprise the shapes of the vertebral body and uncinate and spinous processes (Putz, 1976; Penning, 1988; Lang, 1990) and the more developed anterior tubercle and anterior root of the transverse process of the 6th cervical vertebra (C6) (Paturet, 1951). During routine examination of a series of dried skeletons, the articular processes (AP) of C6 were found to be distinct from the rest of the cervical vertebrae. The aim of this study was to confirm this unusual appearance of the C6 process by inspecting a sample of dried skeletons. We report the morphology of the AP of C6 in 76 well preserved complete adult skeletons (58 males, 18 females; age 31–77 y) and 5 young specimens from the Anatomical Institutes of Alicante, Valencia and Murcia (Spain) and Munich (Germany). Another 12 skeletons were excluded from the study due to arthritic changes in their cervical APs.