Cortical bone is dense, solid and strong. The outer shell of a vertebra consists of cortical bone. The vertebrae are themselves complex structures. Lordotic curves are found in the healthy cervical and lumbar regions of the spine. However, sometimes a spine can be excessively kyphotic, such as a humpback.Ī lordotic curve is concave, i.e. The curves in the healthy thoracic and sacral spine are kyphotic. Curves are described as being either kyphotic or lordotic.Ī kyphotic curve is a convex curve in the spine, i.e., a curve projecting outward. Viewed from the side, a spine has four distinct curves. Viewed from the front, a healthy spine is straight up and down. Body PlaneĪ plane that divides the front and back halves of the entire body, head to toeĪ plane that divides the left and right sides of the entire body, head to toeĪ plane that divides the body at the waist (top and bottom halves of the body). A body plane is an imaginary flat, two-dimensional surface that defines a particular area of anatomy. Physicians who need to describe specific locations of the body often use body planes. The Skull and PelvisĪlthough not typically viewed as part of the spine, the skull and pelvis connect to the spinal column and impact balance. Immediately below the sacrum are five additional bones, fused together to form the coccyx (tailbone). The last lumbar vertebra (L5) articulates (moves) with the sacrum. The sacrum fits between the two hip bones connecting the spine to the pelvis. Five bones, abbreviated S1 to S5, fused into a triangular shape, form the sacrum. Lumbar facet joints enable significant flexion and extension movement, but limit rotation (twisting). The lumbar vertebrae “interlock” with each other forming facet joints. This region allows more range of motion than the thoracic spine, but less than the cervical. The lumbar vertebrae are the largest vertebrae and carry most of the body’s weight. The lumbar spine consists of five vertebrae abbreviated L1 to L5. The rib cage and ligaments limit range of motion and protect many vital organs. These rib attachments add strength and stability the thoracic spine. The thoracic vertebrae are larger than the cervical bones and have longer spinous processes. T1 is the smallest and T12 is the largest thoracic vertebrae. Thoracic Spineīeneath the last cervical vertebra are 12 thoracic vertebrae abbreviated T1-T12 (top to bottom). The other cervical vertebrae (C3-C7) are shaped like boxes with small spinous processes (finger-like projections) that extend from the back of the vertebrae. Together, the Atlas and Axis enable the head to rotate and turn. It is circular in shape with a blunt tooth-like structure (called the Odontoid Process or dens) that projects upward into the Atlas. The Atlas is ring-shaped and supports the skull. The first cervical vertebra (C1) is called the Atlas. These vertebrae protect the brain stem and the spinal cord, support the skull, and allow for a wide range of head movement. This region consists of seven vertebrae, which are abbreviated C1 through C7 (top to bottom). The cervical spine is the spine in the neck. The spine consists of three main regions: cervical, thoracic, lumbar, and sacral. Protect the spinal cord, nerve roots and several of the body’s internal organs.Provide structural support and balance to maintain an upright posture.The three main functions of the spine are to: A basic understanding of the spine’s anatomy and its functions is extremely important to patients with spinal disorders. The spine is one of the most remarkable parts of the human body.
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