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BACKGROUND: As a unique structure of cervical vertebra, the occurrence and development of uncinate joint are closely related to the stability and range of motion of cervical vertebra, but it is also closely related to the incidence of cervical spondylosis. Understanding the developmental characteristics of uncinate joint is of great significance to the type, diagnosis and treatment of cervical spondylosis. OBJECTIVE: To find the changing rules of uncinate process with age and increasing vertebral order by measuring the related diameters of uncinate process in cervical uncinate joints of different ages. METHODS: In a retrospective study, the imaging data of 1 447 cases of cervical vertebrae of different ages were collected. According to the age, they were divided into < 10 years, 10-19 years, 20-29 years, 30-39 years, 40-49 years, 50-59 years, ≥ 60 years groups. The uncinate process length, width, height, uncinate-transverse distance, uncinate process distance, anterior foot distance and posterior foot distance of uncinate process were measured. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: (1) The results showed that there were differences between males and females in the related structure of uncinate process, and the length, height and width of uncinate process increased slowly with the increase of vertebral sequence and age. The distance between uncinate process, the distance between the front foot of uncinate process and the distance between the posterior foot of uncinate process increased slowly with the increase of vertebral sequence, but the distance between them did not change significantly with the increase of age. The distance between hook and transverse increased slowly with the increase of vertebral order, but the change with age was not significant. (2) These results have concluded that there are gender and lateral differences in the uncinate process related structure of the uncinate joint of the cervical vertebra, and the overall trend increases slowly with the increase of age and vertebral order. Mastering the aging characteristics and development law of the uncinate joint can provide a theoretical basis for the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of related cervical spondylosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]