Cervical Anatomy
The cervical spine includes the first seven vertebrae. Located between the head and the relatively stiff thoracic spine, the cervical spine can be subject to both wear and tear problems (degenerative) as well as trauma (injury).
Important features of the cervical spine are shown on these MRI images.
This illustration shows how the cuts through the spine, like slicing a salami, go through the foramen (hole through which nerve exits, here marked B) or through the bone (slice here labelled A)
An example of slice A through the bone:
An example of slice B through the foramen (hole through which nerve exits):