Luschka's Joints
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anatomy Anatomy () is the branch of morphology concerned with the study of the internal structure of organisms and their parts. Anatomy is a branch of natural science that deals with the structural organization of living things. It is an old scien ...
, Luschka's joints (also called uncovertebral joints, neurocentral joints) are formed between uncinate process or "uncus" below and uncovertebral articulation above. They are located in the cervical region of the
vertebral column The spinal column, also known as the vertebral column, spine or backbone, is the core part of the axial skeleton in vertebrates. The vertebral column is the defining and eponymous characteristic of the vertebrate. The spinal column is a segmente ...
from C3 to C7.Forseen, Scott E. & Neil M. Borden. "Imaging Anatomy of the Human Spine: A Comprehensive Atlas Including Adjacent Structures." Springer Publishing Company, 2015, p. 78. Two lips project upward from the superior surface of the vertebral body below, and one projects downward from the inferior surface of vertebral body above. They allow for flexion and extension and limit lateral flexion in the cervical spine. Pathological processes that can occur in these joints include degenerative changes or hypertrophic arthritis, resulting in foraminal stenosis and nerve compression. Foraminal stenosis at this joint is the most common cause of cervical nerve root pressure. They were characterized by Hubert von Luschka in 1858.


References

Joints {{Musculoskeletal-stub