C6 (6th Cervical Vertebra)

The C6 vertebra is the sixth of seven (7) cervical vertebrae in the neck, supporting the head and providing articulation of the head and neck above the thoracic vertebrae and the other caudal vertebrae of the spinal column. After the C1 and C2 vertebrae, the C3-C6 vertebrae are often grouped together for their similarity to each other. Like the other vertebrae in this grouping, the C6 vertebra is relatively smaller and more flexible than the other true vertebrae of the backbone, yet it has a...

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Full C6 (6th Cervical Vertebra) Description

[Continued from above] . . . larger triangular vertebral foramen than is to be found in the bones of the spinal column below it. The spinous process extending from the vertebral arch is bifid, or notched, with one side larger than the other. Thin lamina enclose the vertebral foramen on either side, and twin transverse foramina permit the passage of the vertebral vein, vertebral artery, and the appropriate nerves to connect the spinal column to the rest of the body in that area of the neck, head, and shoulders. The cylindrical centrum or ventral body is relatively small and concave on top, convex on the bottom, where the intervertebral discs provide support, cushioning, and movement in the joint between itself and the C5 vertebra above and C7 below. Articulation is aided by a superior articular facet above and an inferior articular facet on the caudal surface of the C6 vertebra.