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General Structure of a Vertebra

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.

Vertebral Column: Regions and Curvature

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...

Articulations of the Vertebral Column

Articulations of the Vertebral Column

In addition to being held together by the intervertebral discs, adjacent vertebrae also articulate with each other at synovial joints formed between the superior and inferior articular processes called zygapophysial joints (facet joints). These are plane joints that provide for only limited motions between the vertebrae. The orientation of the articular processes at these joints varies in different regions of the vertebral column and serves to determine the types of motions available in each...

Degenerative Disc Disease ll: Pathophysiology

Degenerative Disc Disease ll: Pathophysiology

The symptoms of degenerative disc disease arise from a combination of mechanical compression, vascular compromise, and biochemical inflammation, which together disrupt nerve function and produce pain.Mechanical CompressionDisc degeneration reduces height and elasticity, predisposing to herniation of the nucleus pulposus, a major cause of radicular pain. Herniations may be protrusion (bulging with intact annulus), extrusion (nucleus extends beyond disc but remains connected), or sequestration...

Muscles of the Vertebral Column

Muscles of the Vertebral Column

The back muscles that lie deep into the thoracolumbar fascia are called intrinsic or true back muscles. These muscles are divided into four layers: superficial, intermediate, deep, and deepest layers.
Superficial Layer:
The superficial layer consists primarily of the splenius muscles, which include the splenius capitis and splenius cervicis. These muscles are mainly responsible for the head and cervical spine movements, including extension, rotation, and lateral bending. The splenius capitis...

Structural Joints: Cartilaginous Joints

Structural Joints: Cartilaginous Joints

As the name indicates, at a cartilaginous joint, the adjacent bones are united by cartilage, a tough but flexible type of connective tissue. Unlike synovial joints, these types of joints lack a joint cavity and involve bones joined together by either hyaline cartilage or fibrocartilage.
There are two types of cartilaginous joints:
Synchondrosis
A synchondrosis ("joined by cartilage") is a cartilaginous joint where bones are connected by hyaline cartilage. Synchondrosis may be temporary or...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 13, 2026

Modified Posterior Vertebral Column Resection for Patients with Thoracolumbar Kyphotic Deformity

Modified Posterior Vertebral Column Resection for Patients with Thoracolumbar Kyphotic Deformity

Published on: September 16, 2022

Vertebral spinal osteophytes.

Zachary Klaassen¹, R Shane Tubbs, Nihal Apaydin

¹Department of Anatomical Sciences, School of Medicine, St. George's University, Grenada, West Indies.

Anatomical Science International

|April 13, 2010

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Osteoarthritis can cause vertebral osteophytes, leading to serious complications like dysphagia, spinal cord compression, and aortic issues, particularly in the elderly. Treatment ranges from medication to surgery for these bone spurs.

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 13, 2026

Modified Posterior Vertebral Column Resection for Patients with Thoracolumbar Kyphotic Deformity

Modified Posterior Vertebral Column Resection for Patients with Thoracolumbar Kyphotic Deformity

Published on: September 16, 2022

Area of Science:

Spinal Health
Geriatric Medicine
Osteoarthritis Research

Background:

Osteoarthritis frequently affects the elderly, commonly presenting as vertebral osteophytes.
These bone spurs can impact adjacent anatomical structures, causing various clinical symptoms.

Purpose of the Study:

To review the clinical presentations and complications associated with vertebral osteophytes.
To highlight the anatomical structures at risk from osteophyte formation in different spinal regions.

Main Methods:

Literature review of studies on vertebral osteophytes and their clinical manifestations.
Analysis of anatomical relationships between osteophytes and adjacent structures.

Main Results:

Cervical osteophytes can cause dysphagia, aspiration, vocal fold paralysis, and obstructive sleep apnea.
Thoracic osteophytes may lead to esophageal issues, aortic pseudoaneurysms, and bronchial compression.
Lumbar osteophytes can affect the inferior vena cava and abdominal aorta.

Conclusions:

Vertebral osteophytes present diverse complications impacting critical adjacent structures.
Treatment involves conservative measures initially, with surgical intervention as a secondary option.
Rising obesity and aging populations are expected to increase the incidence of osteophyte formation.