Vertebral Body Of The Cervical Vertebra, Superior View

Description

Cervical vertebral body (centrum) fills the frame in superior view, with the superior endplate forming an oval platform and the uncinate processes rising as paired lips along the superolateral margins. Medially, the posterior border of the body leads toward the vertebral foramen, while the pedicles emerge posterolaterally and define the anterior boundaries of the spinal canal. Each uncinate process sits lateral to the endplate and superior to the lateral aspect of the body, positioning it to articulate with the inferolateral surface of the vertebral body above at the uncovertebral joints (joints of Luschka). Fine cortical contours emphasize the transition from the central endplate to the uncinate margins. Uncinate anatomy matters because it shapes cervical segmental mechanics and becomes a frequent source of pain and neurologic symptoms when degenerative change produces uncovertebral osteophytes. Those osteophytes project posterolaterally toward the intervertebral foramen and vertebral artery corridor, contributing to foraminal stenosis and C5 to C7 radiculopathy, and they can complicate exposure during anterior cervical discectomy and fusion when the surgeon works close to the longus colli and the transverse process region. A fixed superior perspective matches how these margins are appreciated on axial CT and on en face views of the endplate during lab dissection. It is a tight space. Use this illustration in cervical spine modules for gross anatomy and osteology, in radiology teaching files correlating axial CT with osseous landmarks, or in surgical education materials discussing osteophytectomy and endplate preparation in ACDF. Anatomical accuracy verified by SciePro's Medical Advisory Board.