However, at this point it has also started to exhibit at least some degeneration. The fully developed cervical spine has reached its peak in terms of providing an optimal balancing act of supporting the head and protecting the spinal cord while still enabling a high degree of mobility. See All About the C2-C5 Spinal Motion Segments Overall, the neck has lost some mobility in exchange for more sturdiness. The most mobile segment of the cervical spine has now moved from C2-C3 all the way down to C5-C6 where it remains through the rest of adolescence and adulthood. This change arises because facet joints, in the back (posterior) portion of the cervical spine, angle downward more and have developed more bone while the nerve root has also gotten bigger. Compared to the younger cervical spine, the adolescent spine has less space for nerve roots to exit through the spinal canal’s bony holes, called foramina. By early adolescence, the cervical spine has mostly taken its adult shape, although its size will continue to grow for a few more years. Watch Cervical Vertebrae Anatomy Animation The cervical lordosis curve tends to become larger until age 5 and then becomes less pronounced as the cervical vertebrae continue to change shape and postural muscles and ligaments start to better support the head. The cervical discs start to flatten out and assume a less rounded shape while the vertebral bodies become comparatively larger and more rectangular. Clinical Anatomy of the Spine, Spinal Cord, and ANS. Unique anatomic features of the pediatric spine. The cervical spine’s most mobile segment is initially located at the C2-C3 vertebral level.ġ Cramer GD, Y SW. During these first few years, the head is wobbly due to the relatively small cervical spine and the developing postural muscles and ligaments that hold it up. At about 3 months, the cervical lordosis (backward curve of the neck) develops as the baby starts lifting his or her head. The comparatively small vertebral bodies start out almost spherical in shape, similar to a watermelon. At birth, the cervical discs are large and round, filled with cushioning liquid gel. A typical cervical spine goes through the following lifecycle.
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