Atlanto-occipital joint

Looks like

The paired joint between the skull's occipital condyles and the cupped upper facets of the atlas (C1).

What it does

Allows nodding the head yes and a little side bending.

Keeping it well

Its ligaments can be torn off in high-speed crashes (atlanto-occipital dislocation), usually fatal; in rheumatoid arthritis and Down syndrome the upper neck can be unstable, so it is checked before anaesthesia.

Related conditions

• Gout
• Haemophilia & bleeding disorders
• Lyme disease
• Marfan syndrome & connective tissue disorders
• Neck pain and cervical spondylosis
• Osteoarthritis
• Psoriatic arthritis
• Rheumatic fever & rheumatic heart disease
• Rheumatoid arthritis
• Systemic lupus erythematosus
• Temporomandibular joint disorder
• Whiplash
• Wry neck (torticollis)