Uncinate process
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Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]
Overview
Uncinate process can refer to:
- Uncinate process of ethmoid bone
- Uncinate process of cervical vertebra or uncinate process of first thoracic vertebra: An Uncinate process is a part of a spinal vertebra. It is a hook shaped process on the lateral borders (side edges) of the superior (top) surface of the third to the sixth cervical vertebrae. This bony part prevents a vertebra from sliding backwards off the vertebra below it (i.e. it prevents posterior linear translation movements of the vertebral bodies) and limits lateral flexion.
- Uncinate process of pancreas
- Uncinate processes of ribs, which can be separate bones or projections from ribs. They are found in birds, some dinosaurs (particularly some coelurosaurian theropods), and sphenodonts (tuataras). An uncinate process on a rib overlaps the rib posterior to it, providing bracing to the rib cage. Uncinate processes found in dinosaur fossils were used to relate how some theropods breathed to that of penguins. [2]