Abstract: This chapter describes the vertebral column, which is a flexible structure made up of vertebrae and intervertebral discs. Small alterations of form accompany changes in the distribution of the bodyweight, while greater alterations take place in general movements of the body. The numbers of vertebrae in the various regions into which the vertebral column is subdivided are cervical 7, thoracic 12, lumbar 5, sacral 5, and coccygeal 4. Either the 7th cervical or the 1st lumbar vertebra bears an additional pair of ribs. The cervical ribs are short and only detected on radiological examination, but they are longer and palpable in the supraclavicular fossa of the neck. In a small proportion of subjects, there are only four lumbar vertebrae, while the absence of a 12th rib or nonfusion of the first sacral segment suggests the presence of six lumbar vertebrae. Exceptionally, a half vertebral body may be interposed between the bodies of adjacent vertebrae on one side. In the condition of spina bifida, the neural arches are incomplete dorsally. This bony defect may be accompanied by anomalies of the spinal cord. It is not unusual to find minor degrees of the condition in the sacrum and the neural arch of the 5th lumbar vertebra, and these are usually without significance.
Publication Year: 1978
Publication Date: 1978-01-01
Language: en
Type: book-chapter
Indexed In: ['crossref']
Access and Citation
AI Researcher Chatbot
Get quick answers to your questions about the article from our AI researcher chatbot