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Vertebral column / Regions of the spine. Left lateral view.
Vertebral column
Normal anatomical position of the spine / Line of gravity. Left lateral view.
Normal anatomical position of the spine
Bones of the vertebral column / Posterior view.
Bones of the vertebral column
Structural elements of a vertebra / Left posterosuperior view.
Structural elements of a vertebra
Cervical spine / Bones of the cervical spine. Left lateral view.
Cervical spine
Thoracic spine / Left lateral view.
Thoracic spine
Lumbar spine / Left lateral view.
Lumbar spine
Sacrum and coccyx / Anterior view.
Sacrum and coccyx
Craniovertebral joints / Atlas and axis, posterosuperior view.
Craniovertebral joints
Anterior longitudinal ligament / Anterior view with base of skull removed.
Anterior longitudinal ligament
Ligaments of the vertebral column: Thoracolumbar junction / Left lateral view of T11-L3, with T11-T12 sectioned in the midsagittal plane.
Ligaments of the vertebral column: Thoracolumbar junction
Joints of the vertebral column /
Joints of the vertebral column
Vertebral column / Bony vertebral column. Left lateral view.
Vertebral column
Normal anatomical position of the spine / Midsagittal section through an adult male. Left lateral view.
Normal anatomical position of the spine
Bones of the vertebral column / Anterior view.
Bones of the vertebral column
Spine / Cervical Spine, Sagittal Section
Spine
Spine / Thoracic Spine, Sagittal Section
Spine
Typical vertebrae / Cervical vertebra (C4). Superior view.
Typical vertebrae
Typical vertebrae / Lumbar vertebra (L4). Superior view.
Typical vertebrae
Atlas (C1) / Superior view.
Atlas (C1)
Axis (C2) / Left lateral view.
Axis (C2)
Typical thoracic vertebra (T6) / Left lateral view.
Typical thoracic vertebra (T6)
Typical thoracic vertebra (T6) / Superior view.
Typical thoracic vertebra (T6)
Sacrum and coccyx / Posterior view.
Sacrum and coccyx
Ligaments of the cervical spine / Midsagittal section, left lateral view.
Ligaments of the cervical spine
Ligaments of the cervical spine / Midsagittal T2-weighted MRI, left lateral view.
Ligaments of the cervical spine
Ligamenta flava and intertransverse ligaments / Anterior view of opened vertebral canal at level of L2-L5.
Ligamenta flava and intertransverse ligaments
Posterior longitudinal ligament / Posterior view of opened vertebral canal at level of L2-L5.
Posterior longitudinal ligament
Spine / Sagittal Section
Spine
Radiograph of the Spine / Anterior-Posterior View of the Cervical Spine
Radiograph of the Spine
Radiograph of the Spine / Lateral View of the Cervical Spine
Radiograph of the Spine
Radiograph of the Spine / Anterior-Posterior View of the Thoracic Spine
Radiograph of the Spine
Radiograph of the Spine / Anterior-Posterior View of the Lumbar Spine
Radiograph of the Spine
Radiograph of the Spine / Lateral View of the Lumbar Spine
Radiograph of the Spine
Spine / Lumbar Spine, Sagittal Section
Spine
Radiograph of the Spine / Anterior-Posterior View of the Sacrum
Radiograph of the Spine
MRI of the Thorax / Sagittal Section 1
MRI of the Thorax
MRI of the Thorax / Sagittal Section 2
MRI of the Thorax
Typical vertebrae / Thoracic vertebra (T6). Superior view.
Typical vertebrae
Typical vertebrae / Sacrum. Superior view.
Typical vertebrae
Cervical spine / Radiograph of the cervical spine. Left lateral view.
Cervical spine
Atlas (C1) / Left lateral view.
Atlas (C1)
Atlas (C1) / Anterior view.
Atlas (C1)
Axis (C2) / Anterior view.
Axis (C2)
Axis (C2) / Superior view.
Axis (C2)
Typical cervical vertebra (C4) / Left lateral view.
Typical cervical vertebra (C4)
Typical cervical vertebra (C4) / Anterior view.
Typical cervical vertebra (C4)
Typical cervical vertebra (C4) / Superior view.
Typical cervical vertebra (C4)
Typical thoracic vertebra (T6) / Anterior view.
Typical thoracic vertebra (T6)
Typical lumbar vertebra (L4) / Left lateral view.
Typical lumbar vertebra (L4)
Typical lumbar vertebra (L4) / Anterior view.
Typical lumbar vertebra (L4)
Typical lumbar vertebra (L4) / Superior view.
Typical lumbar vertebra (L4)
Sacrum and coccyx / Left lateral view.
Sacrum and coccyx
Sacrum and coccyx / Radiograph of sacrum. Anteroposterior view.
Sacrum and coccyx
Sacrum / Base of sacrum. Superior view.
Sacrum
Sacrum / Transverse section through second sacral vertebra demonstrating anterior and posterior sacral foramina. Superior view.
Sacrum
Intervertebral disk in the vertebral column / Sagittal section of T11-T12. Left lateral view.
Intervertebral disk in the vertebral column
Structure of intervertebral disk / Anterosuperior view with the anterior half of the disk and the right half of the end plate removed.
Structure of intervertebral disk
Relation of intervertebral disk to vertebral canal / Fourth lumbar vertebra. Superior view.
Relation of intervertebral disk to vertebral canal
Outer zone of the anulus fibrosus / Anterior view of L3-L4 with intervertebral disk.
Outer zone of the anulus fibrosus
Zygapophyseal (intervertebral facet) joints / Cervical region, left lateral view. The zygapophyseal joints lie 45 degrees from the horizontal.
Zygapophyseal (intervertebral facet) joints
Zygapophyseal (intervertebral facet) joints / Thoracic region, left lateral view. The joints lie in the coronal plane.
Zygapophyseal (intervertebral facet) joints
Zygapophyseal (intervertebral facet) joints / Lumbar region, posterior view. The joints lie in the sagittal plane.
Zygapophyseal (intervertebral facet) joints
Uncovertebral joints / Uncovertebral joints in the cervical spine of an 18-year-old man, anterior view.
Uncovertebral joints
Uncovertebral joints / Uncovertebral joint (enlarged), anterior view of coronal section.
Uncovertebral joints
Uncovertebral joints / Uncovertebral joints, split intervertebral disks, anterior view of coronal section.
Uncovertebral joints
Craniovertebral joints / Posterior view.
Craniovertebral joints
Dissection of the craniovertebral joint ligaments / Nuchal ligament and posterior atlanto-occipital membrane.
Dissection of the craniovertebral joint ligaments
Dissection of the craniovertebral joint ligaments / Posterior longitudinal ligament.
Dissection of the craniovertebral joint ligaments
Dissection of the craniovertebral joint ligaments / Cruciform ligament of atlas (*).
Dissection of the craniovertebral joint ligaments
Dissection of the craniovertebral joint ligaments / Alar and apical ligaments
Dissection of the craniovertebral joint ligaments
Ligaments of the craniovertebral joints / Ligaments of the median atlantoaxial joint, superior view.
Ligaments of the craniovertebral joints
Ligaments of the craniovertebral joints / Posterosuperior view.
Ligaments of the craniovertebral joints
Vertebral ligaments / Viewed obliquely from the left posterior view.
Vertebral ligaments
Posterior longitudinal ligament / Posterior view with vertebral canal windowed and spinal cord removed.
Posterior longitudinal ligament
Anterior longitudinal ligament / Anterior view of L3-L5.
Anterior longitudinal ligament
Spinal development / The characteristic curvatures of the adult spine appear over the course of postnatal development, being only partially present in a newborn. The newborn has a “kyphotic” spinal curvature (A) ; lumbar lordosis develops later and becomes stable at puberty (C).
Spinal development
Injuries in the cervical spine / The cervical spine is prone to hyperextension injuries, such as “whiplash,” which can occur when the head extends back much farther than it normally would. The most common injuries of the cervical spine are fractures of the dens of the axis, traumatic spondylolisthesis (ventral slippage of a vertebral body), and atlas fractures. Patient prognosis is largely dependent on the spinal level of the injuries. This patient hit the dashboard of his car while not wearing a seat belt. The resulting hyperextension caused the traumatic spondylolisthesis of C2 (axis) with fracture of the vertebral arch of C2, as well as tearing of the ligaments between C2 and C3. This injury is often referred to as "hangman’s fracture."
Injuries in the cervical spine
Osteoporosis / The spine is the structure most affected by degenerative diseases of the skeleton, such as arthrosis and osteoporosis. In osteoporosis, more bone material gets reabsorbed than built up, resulting in a loss of bone mass. Symptoms include compression fractures and resulting back pain.
Osteoporosis
Disk herniation in the lumbar spine / As the stress resistance of the anulus fibrosus declines with age, the tissue of the nucleus pulposus may protrude through weak spots under loading. If the fibrous ring of the anulus ruptures completely, the herniated material may compress the contents of the intervertebral foramen (nerve roots and blood vessels). These patients often suffer from severe local back pain. Pain is also felt in the associated dermatome. When the motor part of the spinal nerve is affected, the muscles served by that spinal nerve will show weakening. It is an important diagnostic step to test the muscles innervated by a nerve from a certain spinal segment, as well as the sensitivity in the specific dermatome. Example: The first sacral nerve root innervates the gas- trocnemius and soleus muscles; thus, standing or walking on toes can be affected.<p></p>Posterior herniation (A, B) In the MRI, a conspicuously herniated disk at the level of L3–L4 protrudes posteriorly (transligamentous herniation). The dural sac is deeply indented at that level. *CSF (cerebrospinal fluid). <p></p>Posterolateral herniation (C, D) A posterolateral herniation may compress the spinal nerve as it passes through the intervertebral foramen. If more medially positioned, the herniation may spare the nerve at that level but impact nerves at inferior levels.
Disk herniation in the lumbar spine
Proximity of the spinal nerve and vertebral artery to the uncinate process / The spinal nerve and vertebral artery pass through the intervertebral and transverse foramina, respectively. Bony outgrowths (osteophytes) on the uncinate process resulting from uncovertebral arthrosis (degeneration) may compress both the nerve and the artery and can lead to chronic pain in the neck.
Proximity of the spinal nerve and vertebral artery to the uncinate process
Spinal development / Newborn
Spinal development
Spinal development / Child, prior to puberty
Spinal development
Spinal development / Adult
Spinal development
Hangman's fracture /
Hangman's fracture
Radiograph of a normal lumbar spine, left lateral view /
Radiograph of a normal lumbar spine, left lateral view
Radiograph of an osteoporotic lumbar spine with a compression fracture at L1 (<i>arrow</i>), left lateral view /
Radiograph of an osteoporotic lumbar spine with a compression fracture at L1 (arrow), left lateral view
Posterior herniation / Superior view.
Posterior herniation
Posterior herniation / Midsagittal T2-weighted MRI (magnetic resonance image).
Posterior herniation
Posterolateral herniation / Superior view.
Posterolateral herniation
Posterolateral herniation / Posterior view, vertebral arches removed.
Posterolateral herniation
Proximity of the spinal nerve and vertebral artery to the unicinate process / Cervical spine, anterior view.
Proximity of the spinal nerve and vertebral artery to the unicinate process
Proximity of the spinal nerve and vertebral artery to the uncinate process / Fourth cervical vertebra, superior view.
Proximity of the spinal nerve and vertebral artery to the uncinate process
Structural elements of vertebrae /
Structural elements of vertebrae
Joints of the vertebral column /
Joints of the vertebral column
Vertebral ligaments /
Vertebral ligaments


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