Which cervical vertebrae in the equine lack a spinous process?

Which cervical vertebrae in the equine lack a spinous process?

• A. C2-C5
• B. C3-C6
• C. C1-C4
• D. C4-C7

Answer: (B)

Think about how a horse’s neck is built for flexibility. The spinous process is the bony projection along the top of each vertebra where muscles and ligaments attach. In the horse, the mid-cervical region has very little or no dorsal projection, so those vertebrae lack a true spinous process. The atlas (the first cervical vertebra) has no spinous process at all, and the axis (the second) has only a tiny one. The last cervical vertebra before the thoracic region begins to show a more noticeable spine again. So, the mid-cervical vertebrae are the ones that lack a spinous process.

Think about how a horse’s neck is built for flexibility. The spinous process is the bony projection along the top of each vertebra where muscles and ligaments attach. In the horse, the mid-cervical region has very little or no dorsal projection, so those vertebrae lack a true spinous process. The atlas (the first cervical vertebra) has no spinous process at all, and the axis (the second) has only a tiny one. The last cervical vertebra before the thoracic region begins to show a more noticeable spine again. So, the mid-cervical vertebrae are the ones that lack a spinous process.