The Superior Articular Facet Of Axis Bone In Lateral View

Description

Rotating through a lateral profile of C2 (axis), the animation centers on the superior articular facet and adjacent superior articular process as they rise from the junction of the vertebral body and posterior elements. The axial pedicle is tracked as the short bony bridge extending posteriorly from the body to the posterior arch, with the transverse process and transverse foramen positioned lateral to the vertebral canal. As the viewpoint settles, the posterior arch (laminae converging toward the spinous process) becomes the posterior boundary, while the vertebral body remains anterior and medial. For cervical spine biomechanics and trauma teaching, the superior articular facet of the axis is a key surface for the C1 to C2 articulation and for appreciating how loads transfer from the atlas into the subaxial cervical column. Small changes in angulation matter. The sequential camera move makes it easier to grasp why a C2 pedicle or pars fracture (as in traumatic spondylolisthesis of the axis, the Hangman fracture) disrupts the continuity between the vertebral body and posterior arch, and how that differs from lesions centered on the articular surface itself. Use this clip in gross anatomy labs when students confuse pedicle, pars interarticularis, and lamina on the axis, and in orthopedic or neurosurgical teaching decks introducing C2 screw trajectories where pedicle morphology and the lateral relationship to the transverse foramen inform risk to the vertebral artery. It also fits radiology modules correlating lateral anatomy with CT bone windows of the upper cervical spine. Anatomical accuracy verified by SciePro's Medical Advisory Board.