[Jacques-Benigne Winsløw and his original research on the mobility and function of the spine]

It was not until the time of the anatomist Vesal (1514-64) that the function of the spinal facet-joints was understood. First with the effective anatomical studies of the Danish anatomist J.B. Winsløv (1669-1760) in Paris and of the German anatomist Josias Weitbrecht (17th and 18th century) in St. Petersburg, the building and function of the spinal disk were described. Texts and illustrations in the incunabels (last part of the 15th century) tells of the rather slow development of understanding of the spine's anatomy and movability. X-ray and MR scanning from the 20th century have produced far better methods for studying the normal and abnormal building and function of the spine - but Winsløw and Weitbrecht's investigations were really epoch-making.