Posterior tubercle of cervical vertebra

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Posterior tubercle of cervical vertebra
A cervical vertebra. (Posterior tubercle labeled at center left.)
Side view of a typical cervical vertebra. (Posterior tubercle labeled at bottom.)
Latin tuberculum posterius vertebrae cervicalis
Gray's subject #21 99
Dorlands/Elsevier t_21/12829045

The posterior arch of a cervical vertebra forms about two-fifths of the circumference of the ring: it ends behind in the posterior tubercle, which is the rudiment of a spinous process and gives origin to the Recti capitis posteriores minores.

The diminutive size of this process prevents any interference with the movements between the atlas and the skull.

This article was originally based on an entry from a public domain edition of Gray's Anatomy. As such, some of the information contained herein may be outdated. Please edit the article if this is the case, and feel free to remove this notice when it is no longer relevant.

Spine edit

general structures: body of vertebra, vertebral arch (pedicle, lamina, vertebral notch), foramina (vertebral, intervertebral), processes (transverse, articular, spinous)

cervical vertebrae: C1 (anterior arch, posterior arch, lateral mass), C2 (dens), C7, posterior tubercle, foramen transversarium

thoracic vertebrae: costal facets (superior, inferior, transverse)

lumbar vertebrae: accessory process, mammillary process

sacrum/coccyx: pelvic surface (anterior sacral foramina, dorsal surface (posterior sacral foramina, median sacral crest, medial sacral crest, lateral sacral crest), lateral surface, base, sacral hiatus