Definition: The cervical spine is the area of the vertebral column commonly referred to as the neck.
The cervical spine is made up of seven vertebrae, referred to by 'C,' appended with an identifying number. The number indicates the level of the spine in which the particular vertebra is located.
The cervical spine is important for many reasons, one of which is that it holds up the head, a structure that weighs around 20 pounds.
An Example
The seventh cervical vertebra is called C7, or C-7.
The curve of the cervical spine is a lordosis.
Also Known As: neck C-spine
