CERVICAL SPINE-ATLANTO OCCIPITAL JOINT

SUMMARY

1. Synovial joint between the convex occipital condyles and the concave articular facets on the lateral mass of the atlas.

2. Articular surfaces are covered with hyaline cartilage.

3. The capsule and synovial cavity are innervated by the C1 nerve.

4. The joint is responsible for head nodding and lateral flexion (abduction).

5. The epiphyseal line between the basi-occiput and the jugular process crosses the occipital condyle along the line of the hypoglossal canal.



Image: Gray, Henry. Anatomy of the Human Body. Philadelphia: Lea & Febiger, 1918; Bartleby.com, 2000. www.bartleby.com/107/ [Accessed 15 Nov. 2018].

Reference(s)

R.M.H McMinn (1998). Last’s anatomy: regional and applied. Edinburgh: Churchill Livingstone. Get it on Amazon.
Drake, Richard L., et al. Gray's Anatomy for Students. Elsevier, 2023. Get it on Amazon.