Geriatrics Palmer Exam 2 Practice

Uncovertebral joints, also known as joints of Luschka, are formed when the uncinate processes on the inferior aspect of a cervical vertebra articulate with the superior surface of the vertebra above. This arrangement is a feature of the cervical spine, typically from C3 to C7. These joints provide lateral stability and help guide and limit certain movements, especially flexion and extension while restricting lateral flexion. They are not the facet (zygapophyseal) joints, which occur between the superior and inferior articular processes and sit more posteriorly; they are not intervertebral discs, which lie between the vertebral bodies; and they are not costovertebral joints, which connect ribs to vertebrae. With aging, these joints can develop osteophytes and degenerative changes that may impinge nearby neural structures.