cervical spine

English

Etymology

cervical + spine

Noun

cervical spine (plural cervical spines)

1. (anatomy) The five vertebrae below the skull that protect the spinal cord.
   • 1994, Howard S. An, J. Michael Simpson, Surgery of the surgical spine, page 325

     Intradural lesions of the cervical spine iam R. White In comparison to the wide range of pathology which affects the cervical spine, intradural lesions are a somewhat rare, but important group of spinal disorders

   • 1998, Stephan Klemm, Interactions Between the Craniomandibular System and Cervical Spine

     He describes how the movements of the jaw occur around a region in the upper cervical spine, namely around the atlanto-axial joint.

   • 1998, Hans Heinz Naumann, Head and neck surgery, Volume 3, page 73

     This requirement will influence the route of approach to the cervical spine, which may be made from the anterolateral, posterolateral, or posterior aspect, depending on the location of the disease process.

   Car accidents lead to many cervical spine injuries and various levels of paralysis.

Synonyms

• C-spine
• vertebral column
• backbone
• spine
• spinal column