| Bone: Articular processes | |
|---|---|
| A cervical vertebra. (Superior and inferior processes labeled at right.) | |
| A thoracic vertebra. (Superior labeled at top; inferior labeled at bottom.) | |
| Latin | p. articularis inferior vertebrae, p. articularis superior vertebrae, |
| Gray's | subject #20 97 |
The articular processes or zygapophyses (Greek ζυγον = "yoke" (because it links two vertebrae) + απο = "away" + φυσις = "process") of a vertebra, two superior and two inferior, spring from the junctions of the pedicles and laminæ. These stick out of an end of a vertebra to lock with a zygapophysis on the next vertebra, to make the backbone more stable.
The articular surfaces are coated with hyaline cartilage.
In the cervical vertebral column, the articular processes collectively form the articular pillars. These are the bony surfaces palpated just later to the spinous processes, since the cervical spine lacks transverse processes.
This article was originally based on an entry from a public domain edition of Gray's Anatomy. As such, some of the information contained within it may be outdated.
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
