C3 Vertebra or Third Cervical Vertebra, Inferior View

Description

Oriented from an inferior perspective, the third cervical vertebra (C3) is presented with the vertebral foramen centered, bordered anteriorly by the vertebral body and posteriorly by the vertebral arch and laminae. Laterally, the transverse processes project to either side and contain the transverse foramina, aligned for the vertebral artery and accompanying veins as they ascend toward the cranial base. Inferior articular facets slope posteroinferiorly from the articular pillars, forming the C3 to C4 zygapophysial joints, while the bifid spinous process sits in the posterior midline. Small but readable landmarks. This inferior view earns its keep when teaching cervical facet orientation and coupled motion, since the C3 to C4 facets guide flexion and extension while limiting pure axial rotation compared with the atlantoaxial region. Facet joint alignment also frames clinical discussions of cervical zygapophysial pain, degenerative arthropathy, and radiofrequency medial branch neurotomy targeting the third occipital nerve and adjacent medial branches. The transverse foramina add a safety layer for posterior approaches in the upper cervical spine, where aberrant vertebral artery anatomy can narrow the operative corridor. Common use cases include cervical spine modules in gross anatomy and osteology labs, orthopedic and neurosurgical teaching files on posterior cervical instrumentation landmarks, and radiology correlation for CT axial reformats where inferior articular facets and the vertebral foramen set the level. Medical publishers often pair this view with adjacent vertebrae (C2 and C4) to contrast facet planes across the cervical column in a male specimen. Anatomical accuracy verified by SciePro's Medical Advisory Board.