Spine

The spine or vertebral column (also known as backbone, spinal column, Latin: columna vertebralis) is a sequence of bones called vertebrae that are separated from each other by intervertebral discs. The spine forms the main axis of the human body.

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The human spine is flexible and it supports the head, neck, and trunk allowing their movements. It also provides protection for the spinal cord, which is located within the spinal canal that is formed by central holes in the vertebrae.

Normally, there are 32 to 34 vertebrae (singular: vertebra) forming the human spine. There are 24 free vertebrae and 8 to 10 fused vertebrae.

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Parts of spine

The vertebral column can be divided into the following parts:

Cervical part - consists of 7 cervical vertebrae (C1 - C7);
Thoracic part - consists of 12 thoracic vertebrae (T1 - T12);
Lumbar part - consists of 5 lumbar vertebrae (L1 - L5);
Sacral part (sacrum) - consists of 5 sacral vertebrae fused together, forming a single bone - the sacrum;
Coccygeal part (coccyx) - consists of 3 to 5 fused coccygeal vertebrae, forming a single bone - the coccyx (tailbone).

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