epistropheus

English

Noun

epistropheus

  1. (anatomy) The second cervical vertebra of the spine which forms the pivot upon which the first cervical vertebra (the atlas), which carries the head, rotates.
    • 1914, Human Anatomy: A Complete Systematic Treatise, page 215:
      The union of the atlas and epistropheus is described in this section because (1) there is often a direct communication between the synovial cavity of the transverse epistropic and the occipito-atlantal joints; (2) the rotatory movements of the head take place around the dens (odontoid process); and (3) important ligaments from the dens pass over the atlas to the occiput.

Synonyms

  • axis
  • vertebra dentata

Translations

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