Regardless of which division they belong to, all typical vertebrae share a common structure and each vertebra certainly contains the following structures:
Vertebral body (corpus vertebrae)
Vertebral arch (arcus vertebrae)
Between the body and the arch lies the vertebral foramen (foramen vertebrale).
All the vertebral foramina together form the vertebral canal (canalis vertebralis), which contains the spinal cord.
The vertebral arch can be distinguished by the lamina of the vertebral arch (lamina arcus vertebrae) and the pedicle of the vertebral arch (pediculus arcus vertebrae).
There is one lamina and one pedicle on each side (left and right).
On the vertebral arch are the processes to which the fasciae and muscles attach:
The unpaired spinous process (processus spinosus), which extends backward
The paired transverse process (processus transversus). These processes extend backward and slightly to the side
The paired superior articular process (processus articularis superior). Each of them has a superior articular surface (facies articularis superior) for articulation with the upper vertebra
The paired inferior articular process (processus articularis inferior). Each has a inferior articular surface (facies articularis inferior) for articulation with the underlying vertebra
From the side, two notches are distinguished on the vertebra:
The superior vertebral notch (incisura vertebralis superior)
The inferior vertebral notch (incisura vertebralis inferior)
The inferior notch of the vertebra above and the superior notch of the vertebra under join together to form the intervertebral foramen (foramen intervertebrale), through which blood vessels and nerves pass.
Typical vertebra
- corpus vertebrae
- vertebral body
- arcus vertebrae
- vertebral arch
- foramen vertebrale
- vertebral foramen
- canalis vertebralis
- vertebral canal
- lamina arcus vertebrae
- lamina of vertebral arch
- pediculus arcus vertebrae
- pedicle of vertebral arch
- processus spinosus
- spinous process
- processus transversus
- transverse process
- processus articularis superior
- superior articular process
- facies articularis superior
- superior articular facet
- processus articularis inferior
- inferior articular process
- facies articularis inferior
- inferior articular facet
- incisura vertebralis superior
- superior vertebral notch
- incisura vertebralis inferior
- inferior vertebral notch
- foramen intervertebrale
- intervertebral foramen