C3 — third cervical vertebra (Vertebra cervicalis tertia)
Educational content only — not medical advice.
Anatomy
C3, the third of seven cervical vertebrae: a small saddle-like body, a large vertebral foramen, and a transverse process perforated by the vertebral artery. The first fully typical cervical vertebra, with a small body and a pedicle framing the transverse foramen traversed by the vertebral artery.
Clinical notes
Isolated trauma at this level is rare but warns of cervical instability; chronic neck pain merits imaging to exclude disc disease and spondylosis.
Related structures
Educational references
FAQ
What is the role of the C3 — third cervical vertebra?
C3, the third of seven cervical vertebrae: a small saddle-like body, a large vertebral foramen, and a transverse process perforated by the vertebral artery. The first fully typical cervical vertebra, with a small body and a pedicle framing the transverse foramen traversed by the vertebral artery.
Why is the C3 — third cervical vertebra clinically important?
Isolated trauma at this level is rare but warns of cervical instability; chronic neck pain merits imaging to exclude disc disease and spondylosis.
Source & license
Derived from Z-Anatomy (Gauthier Kervyn et al.), CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/); upstream geometry from BodyParts3D, © The Database Center for Life Science. license details