C4 Vertebra

Description

C4 sits in the mid cervical spine, with a small vertebral body positioned anterior to the vertebral foramen and posterior to the airway in life. From a lateral perspective you can appreciate the superior and inferior articular processes forming the zygapophysial (facet) joints above and below, while the spinous process projects posteriorly with the typical cervical bifid contour implied by its short length. Laterally, the transverse process carries the foramen transversarium, an anatomic hallmark of cervical vertebrae, and the uncinate processes rise along the superolateral margins of the vertebral body to border the uncovertebral joints. This level matters because C4 is a common reference point in both trauma and degenerative disease discussions. Foraminal narrowing from uncovertebral osteophytes and facet hypertrophy can irritate the exiting C4 spinal nerve, presenting with neck pain and sensory symptoms over the lower neck and shoulder girdle, and it is also a key landmark when correlating lateral radiographs or CT with suspected subaxial cervical fracture patterns. Small details guide big decisions. Educators often pair this view with adjacent C3 and C5 to teach how cervical vertebrae differ from thoracic and lumbar segments, and how regional morphology predicts motion, load transfer, and injury patterns. The model also supports figure needs for orthopedic or neurosurgical texts discussing anterior cervical discectomy and fusion level planning, where accurate identification of C4 and its disc spaces is nonnegotiable. Anatomical accuracy verified by SciePro's Medical Advisory Board.