Posterior Tubercle Of The Vertebra Of The Cervical Vertebra, Superior View

Description

Posterior tubercle of a typical cervical vertebra crowns the transverse process in superior view, forming a ridge-like eminence on the posterolateral margin of the vertebral arch. From this fixed perspective, the tubercle sits lateral to the pedicle and posterior to the foramen transversarium, with the transverse process extending laterally into the neck’s bony framework. A shallow interval between anterior and posterior tubercles (the groove for the spinal nerve) is implied along the superior surface of the transverse process, separating the muscular attachments from the neurovascular corridor. Orientation is unambiguous. Cervical posterior tubercles matter because they are consistent bony landmarks for both surface anatomy teaching and operative navigation when soft tissues distort normal planes. The posterior tubercle provides attachment for muscles such as levator scapulae (classically from C1 to C4 posterior tubercles) and parts of the posterior scalene complex, while the nearby groove relates directly to the exiting cervical spinal nerve and its ventral ramus, a relationship that frames the risk profile for posterior approaches and for needle-based regional anesthesia in the neck. Small structure, high consequence. The superior perspective emphasizes the transverse process contours that help distinguish typical cervical vertebrae (C3 to C6) from the atlas, axis, and C7, and it clarifies how close the tubercle lies to the vertebral artery’s route through the transverse foramina. Use this illustration for gross anatomy labs, cervical spine modules in orthopedic or neurosurgical teaching files, and atlas plates discussing transverse process fractures, cervical plexus blocks, or landmark-based dissection of the posterior triangle of the neck. Anatomical accuracy verified by SciePro's Medical Advisory Board.