Third Thoracic Vertebra

Description

Obliquely oriented cervical vertebrae are presented in descending order, with the C3 and C4 vertebrae color-coded blue against adjacent segments in natural bone tone. The C3–C4 intervertebral disc sits between their superior and inferior vertebral endplates, while the paired superior and inferior articular processes form the zygapophysial joints posterior to the vertebral bodies. Laterally, the transverse processes project toward the foramen transversarium, and posteriorly the laminae converge on the spinous processes along the midline. C3–C4 is a common level for degenerative cervical spondylosis, and this oblique perspective makes it easier to appreciate how disc height loss and uncovertebral osteophytes can encroach on the intervertebral foramen and irritate the C4 nerve root. Alignment matters here. The relationship between the vertebral body anteriorly and the articular pillar posteriorly is also the bony context for facet-mediated neck pain and for planning a posterior approach such as a foraminotomy, where the surgeon works around the lateral mass and facet joint. Medical educators can drop this plate directly into a gross anatomy lab guide, a spine module for medical or physiotherapy curricula, or a radiology primer that correlates oblique cervical radiographs with segmental anatomy and disc spaces. It also reads well in clinical handouts discussing C3–C4 disc herniation, foraminal stenosis, or cervical facet arthropathy. Anatomical accuracy verified by SciePro's Medical Advisory Board.