The cervical spine: OA, AA and C2-C7
The neck does not follow Fryette's thoracolumbar rules. It has three motion units with their own conventions.
The three units
| Unit | Main motion | Coupling in the teaching model | How dysfunction is named |
|---|---|---|---|
| OA (occiput on atlas) | Flexion and extension (nodding) | Sidebending and rotation to opposite sides, flexed or extended | For example OA E SL RR |
| AA (atlas on axis) | Rotation | Almost pure rotation | AA RR or AA RL |
| C2-C7 | Rotation and sidebending | Sidebending and rotation to the same side | For example C4 F SR RR |
- OA is the main nodding joint and AA the largest single contributor to neck rotation.
- C2-C7 couple rotation and sidebending to the same side in the teaching model, whatever the flexion or extension.
The rest of this guide is for founders
Founders get every guide, endless cases with an AI tutor, and Anki export of their misses. Here is what is inside:
- The three units
- Testing
- Facets and anatomy
- Safety rules for the neck
- Not covered yet
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