Where is spine

Bone spur — Bony growth or rough edge of bone. Cauda equina — The collection of nerves at the end of the spinal cord that resembles a horse's tail. Cervical spine — The neck region of the spine consisting of the first seven vertebrae.

Coccyx — More commonly known as the tailbone, this is a bony structure in the region of the spine below the sacrum. Conus medullaris — The cone-shaped bottom of the spinal cord, usually at the level of L1.

Disc Intervertebral — A tough, elastic cushion located between the vertebrae in the spinal column; acts as a shock absorber for the vertebrae.

Disc degeneration — The deterioration of a disc. A disc in the spine may wear out over time. A deteriorated disc may or may not cause pain. Facet — A joint formed when a posterior structure of a vertebra that joins with a facet of an adjacent vertebra; this joint allows for motion in the spinal column. Each vertebra has a right and left superior upper facet and a right and left inferior lower facet.

Foramen — An opening in the vertebrae of the spine through which the spinal nerve roots travel. Joint — The junction of two or more bones that permits varying degrees of motion between the bones. Lamina — The flattened or arched part of the vertebral arch that forms the roof or back part of the spinal canal. Ligament — Fibrous connective tissue that links bones together at joints or that passes between bones of the spine.

Lumbar spine — The lower back region of the spine; consists of the five vertebrae between the ribs and the pelvis. Nerves — Neural tissue that conducts electrical impulses messages from the brain and spinal cord to all other parts of the body; also conveys sensory information from the body to the central nervous system. Nerve root — The initial portion of a spinal nerve as it originates from the spinal cord. Neural arch — The bony arch of the back part of a vertebra that surrounds the spinal cord; also referred to as the vertebral arch, it consists of the spinous process and lamina.

Pedicle — The bony part of each side of the neural arch of a vertebra that connects the lamina back part with the vertebral body front part. Rotation — Twisting movement of one vertebra on another as a patient turns from one side to the other. Sacrum — Part of the pelvis just above the coccyx tailbone and below the lumbar spine lower back. Sciatica — A lay term indicating pain along the course of the sciatic nerve; typically noted in the back of the buttocks and running down the back of the leg and thigh to below the knee.

Scoliosis — An abnormal sideways curvature of the spine. Spinal canal — A bony channel located in the vertebral column that protects the spinal cord and nerve roots. Spinal cord — The longitudinal cord of nerve tissue enclosed in the spinal canal. It serves not only as a pathway for nerve impulses to and from the brain, but also as a center for operating and coordinating reflex actions independent of the brain.

The twelve thoracic vertebrae are numbered T1 to T The range of motion in the thoracic spine is limited. Lumbar low back - the main function of the lumbar spine is to bear the weight of the body. The five lumbar vertebrae are numbered L1 to L5.

These vertebrae are much larger in size to absorb the stress of lifting and carrying heavy objects. Sacrum - the main function of the sacrum is to connect the spine to the hip bones iliac. There are five sacral vertebrae, which are fused together.

Together with the iliac bones, they form a ring called the pelvic girdle. Coccyx region - the four fused bones of the coccyx or tailbone provide attachment for ligaments and muscles of the pelvic floor.

While vertebrae have unique regional features, every vertebra has three functional parts Fig. Each vertebra in your spine is separated and cushioned by an intervertebral disc, which keeps the bones from rubbing together.

Discs are designed like a radial car tire. The outer ring, called the annulus, has crisscrossing fibrous bands, much like a tire tread. These bands attach between the bodies of each vertebra. Inside the disc is a gel-filled center called the nucleus, much like a tire tube Fig. Discs function like coiled springs. The crisscrossing fibers of the annulus pull the vertebral bones together against the elastic resistance of the gel-filled nucleus. The nucleus acts like a ball bearing when you move, allowing the vertebral bodies to roll over the incompressible gel.

The gel-filled nucleus contains mostly fluid. This fluid is absorbed during the night as you lie down and is pushed out during the day as you move upright. With age, our discs increasingly lose the ability to reabsorb fluid and become brittle and flatter; this is why we get shorter as we grow older.

Also diseases, such as osteoarthritis and osteoporosis, cause bone spurs osteophytes to grow. Injury and strain can cause discs to bulge or herniate, a condition in which the nucleus is pushed out through the annulus to compress the nerve roots causing back pain.

On the back of each vertebra are bony projections that form the vertebral arch. The arch is made of two supporting pedicles and two laminae Fig.

The hollow spinal canal contains the spinal cord, fat, ligaments, and blood vessels. Under each pedicle, a pair of spinal nerves exits the spinal cord and pass through the intervertebral foramen to branch out to your body.

Surgeons often remove the lamina of the vertebral arch laminectomy to access the spinal cord and nerves to treat stenosis, tumors, or herniated discs. Seven processes arise from the vertebral arch: the spinous process, two transverse processes, two superior facets, and two inferior facets.

The facet joints of the spine allow back motion. Each vertebra has four facet joints, one pair that connects to the vertebra above superior facets and one pair that connects to the vertebra below inferior facets Fig. The ligaments are strong fibrous bands that hold the vertebrae together, stabilize the spine, and protect the discs. The three major ligaments of the spine are the ligamentum flavum, anterior longitudinal ligament ALL , and posterior longitudinal ligament PLL Fig.

The ALL and PLL are continuous bands that run from the top to the bottom of the spinal column along the vertebral bodies. They prevent excessive movement of the vertebral bones. The ligamentum flavum attaches between the lamina of each vertebra. The spinal cord is about 18 inches long and is the thickness of your thumb.

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