Pedicle Of Axis, Inferior View

Description

Axis (C2) pedicles are centered in this inferior perspective as stout osseous bridges extending posteriorly from the inferoposterior margin of the vertebral body toward the vertebral arch. Medially, each pedicle helps form the lateral wall of the vertebral foramen, while laterally it approaches the transverse process region where the transverse foramen (foramen transversarium) lies for the vertebral artery. Posterior to the pedicles, the laminae converge toward the bifid spinous process, and the inferior articular processes project inferiorly to meet the superior articular facets of C3 at the zygapophysial joints. Compact cortical margins are easy to follow. C2 fixation frequently relies on pedicle or pars screws, and this is the projection that best clarifies the osseous corridor between the vertebral foramen medially and the transverse foramen laterally, the boundary that governs safe screw angulation and length. Hangman’s fracture, the classic traumatic spondylolisthesis of the axis, traverses the pars interarticularis and may involve the pedicle-body junction, so appreciating the pedicle’s thickness and its relationship to the inferior articular facet is more than academic. Hard shadowing along the pedicle rims supports depth judgment without obscuring the foraminal contours. Use this illustration in spine anatomy teaching for cervical vertebrae differentiation, in operative atlases discussing C2 pedicle screw placement, or in trauma education addressing axis fractures on CT with attention to the transverse foramen and vertebral artery risk. Anatomical accuracy verified by SciePro's Medical Advisory Board.