C4 or Fourth Vertebra, Inferior View

Description

Shown from an inferior perspective, the fourth cervical vertebra (C4) is oriented to emphasize the inferior endplate of the vertebral body and the inferior articular facets that will meet the superior articular facets of C5 at the zygapophysial joints. Laterally, each transverse process contains a transverse foramen, positioned anterolateral to the vertebral foramen, with the pedicles forming the posterolateral margins of the vertebral body. Posterior elements of the vertebral arch frame the vertebral foramen, and the laminae converge toward the base of the (typically bifid) spinous process, which lies posterior and midline. Joint geometry matters. An inferior view is the one you want when teaching or planning around cervical motion segments, because it clarifies the load-bearing surfaces and the facet orientation that guide flexion, extension, and coupled rotation in the mid-cervical spine. Degenerative change at C4 to C5 often produces uncovertebral osteophytes and facet hypertrophy that narrow the intervertebral foramina, a common anatomical substrate for C5 radiculopathy with deltoid weakness and lateral arm pain. The transverse foramina also anchor discussion of vertebral artery anatomy, since the artery usually enters at C6 but can vary, and adjacent osteophytes or surgical misplacement of lateral hardware can place it at risk. Use this plate in cervical spine modules for gross anatomy, orthopaedics, and neurosurgery teaching, or in textbook figures that compare typical cervical vertebrae to atlas and axis and need a clear inferior joint surface reference for the C4 to C5 disc and facets. It also fits radiology correlation when pairing with axial CT at the C4 level to orient trainees to pedicle position and canal boundaries. Anatomical accuracy verified by SciePro's Medical Advisory Board.