The thoracic spine is the longest region of the spine, and by some measures it is also the most complex. Connecting with the cervical spine above and the lumbar spine below, the thoracic spine runs from the base of the neck down to the abdomen. It is the only spinal region attached to the rib cage.
Which section of the spine is the largest?
The five lumbar vertebrae, L1 to L5, are the most massive ones. Their main function is to support the cervical and thoracic spine. The lumbar region also absorbs most of the stress of lifting and carrying objects. Therefore, many spinal problems occur in the low back because of the weight the lumbar spine has to carry.
What region of the spine has the largest vertebrae?
The Lumbar Spine has 5 vertebrae abbreviated L1 through L5 (largest). The size and shape of each lumbar vertebra is designed to carry most of the body’s weight. Each structural element of a lumbar vertebra is bigger, wider and broader than similar components in the cervical and thoracic regions.
What portion of the spine has the largest and strongest vertebrae?
Lumbar Spine: In your low back, you have 5 vertebrae that are labeled L1 to L5 (the ‘L’ means lumbar). Some people have 6 lumbar vertebrae. These vertebrae are your largest and strongest vertebrae, responsible for carrying a lot of your body’s weight.
Which vertebrae are the longest?
Although vertebrae range in size; cervical the smallest, lumbar the largest, vertebral bodies are the weight bearing structures of the spinal column.
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Purpose of the Vertebrae.
| Protection | Spinal Cord and Nerve Roots Many internal organs |
|---|---|
| Base for Attachment | Ligaments Tendons Muscles |
What absorbs shock in the spine?
The intervertebral discs are soft structures which act as shock absorbers between each of the vertebrae (bones) in the spine. A single disc sits between each vertebra.
What are the 5 areas of the spine?
The spine is composed of 33 bones, called vertebrae, divided into five sections: the cervical, thoracic, and lumbar spine sections, and the sacrum and coccyx bones.
What is the most inferior spinal nerve?
The most inferior of the spinal nerves, the coccygeal nerve leaves the spinal cord at the level of the conus medullaris via respective vertebrae through their intervertebral foramina, superior to the filum terminale.
Which part of the spine has the most rotation?
Lumbar Spine
The lumbar vertebrae are the largest and carry most of the body’s weight. This region allows more range of motion than the thoracic spine, but less than the cervical. Lumbar facet joints enable significant flexion and extension movement, but limits rotation.
What are the three areas of the spine called?
The normal anatomy of the spine is usually described by dividing up the spine into three major sections: the cervical, the thoracic, and the lumbar spine. (Below the lumbar spine is a bone called the sacrum, which is part of the pelvis). Each section is made up of individual bones, called vertebrae.
What is the weakest part of the spine?
The weakest part of the spine is the cervical spine, which is made up of seven vertebrae.
What is the name of the top vertebrae in your spine?
The Atlas: The Top Bone in Your Cervical Spine
The atlas is also known as C1, and while other bones in your spine are numbered in such a way (eg, the first bone is your lumbar spine is known as L1), this vertebra is much different in shape and function compared to the rest of your vertebrae.
What vertebrae breaks the worst?
While all spinal cord injuries (SCIs) can be dangerous and life-altering to the people who suffer them, there is one variety of spinal cord injury, in particular, that is considered the worst: an injury that falls within the cervical spinal cord — specifically at the C1 and C2 spinal cord injury level.
Which spinal process has the sharpest angle?
The female sacrum is more acutely curved, with its greatest curvature in the lower half of the bone; it also lies in a more oblique plane, which results in a sharper angle at the junction of the lumbar and pelvic curves. Fig. 8-24 A, Anterior aspect of sacrum and coccyx.
Where is the C spine?
The neck is part of a long flexible column, known as the spinal column or backbone, which extends through most of the body. The cervical spine (neck region) consists of seven bones (C1-C7 vertebrae), which are separated from one another by intervertebral discs.
What is the T spine?
The thoracic spine is the longest region of the spine, and by some measures it is also the most complex. Connecting with the cervical spine above and the lumbar spine below, the thoracic spine runs from the base of the neck down to the abdomen. It is the only spinal region attached to the rib cage.