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Irregular bones bonePosterior midline, from skull to pelvis

Vertebral Column

The vertebral column (spine) consists of 33 vertebrae arranged in five regions: cervical (7), thoracic (12), lumbar (5), sacral (5 fused), and coccygeal (4 fused). It protects the spinal cord and supports the head and trunk.

Key Features

1
Body (centrum) - anterior, weight-bearing
2
Vertebral arch - posterior, forms vertebral foramen
3
Pedicles - connect arch to body
4
Laminae - form posterior arch
5
Spinous process - posterior projection
6
Transverse processes - lateral projections
7
Superior and inferior articular processes (facets)
8
Vertebral foramen - contains spinal cord
9
Intervertebral foramina - for spinal nerves
10
Intervertebral discs - between vertebral bodies

Articulations

  • •Intervertebral joints (bodies) - secondary cartilaginous
  • •Zygapophyseal (facet) joints - synovial plane
  • •Atlantooccipital joint (C1 with skull) - condyloid
  • •Atlantoaxial joint (C1-C2) - pivot

Muscle Attachments

Spinous processes: trapezius, rhomboids, erector spinae, interspinalesTransverse processes: levator scapulae, scalenes, erector spinae, intertransversariiBodies: psoas major, diaphragm cruraLaminae: multifidus, rotatores

Clinical Relevance

Herniated discs cause nerve compression and radiculopathy. Spinal stenosis narrows the vertebral canal. Scoliosis is lateral curvature. Fractures can cause spinal cord injury. The lumbar region is most common for disc herniation.

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Vertebral Column FAQs

Common questions about this bone

There are 33 vertebrae: 7 cervical, 12 thoracic, 5 lumbar, 5 sacral (fused into sacrum), and 4 coccygeal (fused into coccyx). The number of presacral vertebrae (24 mobile) is most clinically relevant.

A herniated disc occurs when the nucleus pulposus of an intervertebral disc protrudes through the annulus fibrosus, potentially compressing spinal nerves or the spinal cord. Most common at L4-L5 and L5-S1 levels.

Cervical vertebrae have transverse foramina for vertebral arteries, bifid spinous processes (C2-C6), and small bodies. The atlas (C1) has no body or spinous process; the axis (C2) has the dens (odontoid process).

The spine has four curves: cervical lordosis (concave posterior), thoracic kyphosis (convex posterior), lumbar lordosis (concave posterior), and sacral kyphosis. Primary curves (thoracic, sacral) develop in utero.

Related Bones

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Skull

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Pelvis

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Ribs

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🦴 Femur🦴 Humerus🦴 Tibia🦴 Radius🦴 Ulna🦴 Scapula🦴 Pelvis🦴 Vertebral Column💀 Skull🦴 Ribs🤚 Carpal Bones🦶 Tarsal Bones🦴 Clavicle🦴 Fibula🦴 Patella