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Related Concept Videos

Vertebral Column: Regions and Curvature01:16

Vertebral Column: Regions and Curvature

The vertebral column or spine is a flexible column that supports the head, neck, and body and  allows for their movements. It also protects the spinal cord.
Regions of the Vertebral Column
In an adult, the spine is subdivided into five regions: the cervical, the thoracic, the lumbar, the sacral, and the coccygeal region. The spine initially develops as a series of 33 vertebrae; after 20 years of age, the nine bones in the sacral region, five sacral, and four coccygeal bones fuse to form the...
General Structure of a Vertebra01:30

General Structure of a Vertebra

A typical vertebra, with the exception of the sacrum and coccyx, consists of a body, a vertebral arch, and seven different projections termed processes. The anterior portion of the vertebrae, the body, supports about half the body’s weight. The vertebral bodies progressively increase in size and thickness from the cervical region to the lumbar region of the vertebral column. The intervertebral discs present between the bodies of adjacent vertebrae firmly unites them, forming a continuous column.
Changes in the Appendicular Skeleton with Age01:09

Changes in the Appendicular Skeleton with Age

The upper and lower limb initially develops as a small bulge called a limb bud, which appears on the lateral side of the early embryo. The upper limb bud appears near the end of the fourth week of development, with the lower limb bud appearing shortly after.
Initially, the limb buds consist of a core of mesenchyme covered by a layer of ectoderm. The ectoderm at the end of the limb bud thickens to form a narrow crest called the apical ectodermal ridge. This ridge stimulates the underlying...
Sutures of the Skull01:22

Sutures of the Skull

The human skull is composed of several bones that come together to protect the brain and support the structures of the face. The junctions where these bones meet are called sutures.
Sutures are immobile joints between adjacent bones of the skull. The narrow gap between the bones is filled with dense, fibrous connective tissue that unites the bones. The long sutures located between the skull bones are not straight but instead follow irregular, tightly twisting paths. These twisting lines tightly...
Overview of the Axial Skeleton01:09

Overview of the Axial Skeleton

The skeleton is subdivided into two major divisions—the axial skeleton and the appendicular skeleton. The axial skeleton forms the vertical, central axis of the body. It includes all of the bones of the head, neck, chest, and back. It protects the brain, spinal cord, heart, and lungs. It also serves as the attachment site for muscles that move the head, neck, and back and for muscles that act across the shoulder and hip joints to move their corresponding limbs.
The axial skeleton of the adult...
Spinal Nerves: Anatomy01:23

Spinal Nerves: Anatomy

Spinal nerves are pivotal conduits in the nervous system, bridging the central nervous system (CNS) with the peripheral nervous system (PNS). These nerves enable a complex communication network between the brain, spinal cord, and the rest of the body, facilitating sensory input, motor output, and autonomic functions.
There are 31 bilateral pairs of spinal nerves, each emerging from the spinal cord through the intervertebral foramina—openings between adjacent vertebrae. These nerves are...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 13, 2026

Modified Posterior Vertebral Column Resection for Patients with Thoracolumbar Kyphotic Deformity
06:45

Modified Posterior Vertebral Column Resection for Patients with Thoracolumbar Kyphotic Deformity

Published on: September 16, 2022

Normal and abnormal development of the spine.

Mark S Dias1

  • 1Department of Neurosurgery H110, Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, Penn State University College of Medicine, Hershey, PA 17033, USA. mdias@psu.edu <mdias@psu.edu>

Neurosurgery Clinics of North America
|August 7, 2007
PubMed
Summary

Understanding normal vertebral development is key to understanding congenital vertebral malformations. This study details normal development and links developmental disorders to observed malformations.

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Precision Measurements and Parametric Models of Vertebral Endplates
10:35

Precision Measurements and Parametric Models of Vertebral Endplates

Published on: September 17, 2019

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jul 13, 2026

Modified Posterior Vertebral Column Resection for Patients with Thoracolumbar Kyphotic Deformity
06:45

Modified Posterior Vertebral Column Resection for Patients with Thoracolumbar Kyphotic Deformity

Published on: September 16, 2022

Precision Measurements and Parametric Models of Vertebral Endplates
10:35

Precision Measurements and Parametric Models of Vertebral Endplates

Published on: September 17, 2019

Area of Science:

  • Developmental biology
  • Embryology
  • Orthopedics

Background:

  • Congenital vertebral malformations are a diverse group of birth defects.
  • Understanding the underlying developmental processes is crucial for diagnosis and treatment.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To provide a comprehensive overview of normal vertebral development.
  • To illustrate how disruptions in development lead to vertebral malformations.

Main Methods:

  • Review of established knowledge on vertebral development.
  • Integration of embryological principles with clinical observations.

Main Results:

  • Detailed description of vertebral development from gastrulation to ossification.
  • Examples of specific developmental errors and their resulting malformations.

Conclusions:

  • Normal vertebral development provides a framework for understanding congenital vertebral anomalies.
  • Disorders of vertebral development are the root cause of these malformations.