Neurosurgery notes/Spine/Spinal biomechanics/Alignment goals/Cervical spine

Cervical spine

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Alignment goals
  • Normal Alignment:
    • The normal cervical spine is lordotic, a curvature developed as infants learn to support their heads.
    • The cervical load-bearing axis typically lies posterior to the C2-C7 vertebral bodies (VBs).
      • Balance between
        • Anterior compressive forces (36% of axial load)
        • Posterior tensile forces (64% of axial load)
      • Maintains the normal curvature and upright head position.
    • C2-C7 Alignment in asymptomatic patients
      • MORPHOLOGICAL STUDY OF THE LOWER CERVICALCURVATURE: RESULTS OF 230 ASYMPTOMATIC SUBJECTS (A. FALINE & Obeid. AL, EUROSPINE 2007）
      • Lordosis >10°: 29%
      • Lordosis <10°: 39%
      • Pure Kyphosis: 19%
      • Sigmoid Kyphosis: 8%
      • Kyphotic Sigmoid: 32%
      • "Straight" Alignment: 5%