Description
The anterior tubercles are the rough, small prominences found on the anterolateral ends of the transverse processes of a typical cervical vertebra. The anterior tubercles of the sixth cervical vertebra are also known as the carotid tubercles (or Chassaignac’s tubercles) because they are the longest tubercles and therefore have the potential to compress the carotid arteries against the vertebral body. Overall, the anterior tubercles of the typical cervical vertebrae provide attachment sites for the anterior cervical intertransversarii, longus capitis, longus cervicis and scalenus anterior muscles.
