CERVICAL VERTEBRAE-ATLAS (C1)
SUMMARY
1. Lacks a centrum
2. The vertebral arch is modified to form thick lateral masses, short anterior arch & long posterior arch
3. Upper surface of the articular facet: kidney shaped & concave to articulate with occipital condyle
4. Lower surface of the articular facet: round & flat to articulate with the atlanto-axial joint
5. The articular facets are in line with uncovertebral joints of C3-7
6. C1 & C2 nerves send their anterior rami behind the joints
Image: Case courtesy of Craig Hacking, Radiopaedia.org. From the case rID: 82884.
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.