Cervical enlargement

Cervical enlargement
Diagrams of the medulla spinalis. (Cervical enlargement labeled at upper right.)
Details
Identifiers
Latin	intumescentia cervicalis
Dorlands /Elsevier	i_11/12457947
TA	A14.1.02.002
FMA	74893
Anatomical terminology []

The cervical enlargement corresponds with the attachments of the large nerves which supply the upper limbs.

It extends from about the third cervical to the second thoracic vertebra, its maximum circumference (about 38 mm.) being on a level with the attachment of the sixth pair of cervical nerves.

The reason behind the enlargement of the cervical region is because of the increased neural input and output to the upper limbs.

An analogous region in the lower limbs occurs at the lumbar enlargement.

This article incorporates text in the public domain from the 20th edition of Gray's Anatomy (1918)