C5 vertebra

Vertebra cervicalis C5

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What it is
A cervical (neck) vertebra: small oval body, large triangular canal and transverse processes pierced by foramina for the vertebral artery.
Function
Supports the head and gives the neck its wide range of flexion, extension and rotation.
Size
Body 26 mm wide × 16 mm deep × 14 mm tall; canal ≈ 18 mm
Clinical note
Cervical vertebrae C3–C6 have short bifid (forked) spinous processes.

Nearby skeletal structures C3 vertebra, C4 vertebra, C6 vertebra, C7 vertebra, Intervertebral disc C2–C3, Intervertebral disc C3–C4, Intervertebral disc C4–C5, Intervertebral disc C5–C6, Intervertebral disc C6–C7, Intervertebral disc C7–T1