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Vertebra
Last reviewed: 04.07.2025
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Regardless of their belonging to any particular section of the spinal column, all vertebrae have a common structural plan.
A vertebra has a body and an arch. The body of the vertebra (corpus vertebrae) faces forward and serves as its supporting part. The arch of the vertebra (areus vertebrae) is connected to the body of the vertebra at the back by the pedicles of the arch of the vertebra (pedunculi areus vertebrae). Between the body and the arch is the vertebral foramen (foramen vertebrale). The set of all the openings forms the vertebral canal (canalis vertebralis), which contains the spinal cord.
On the back surface of the vertebral body there are nutrient openings through which blood vessels (arteries and veins) and a nerve pass. From the vertebral arch there are processes to which the fascia and muscles are attached. An unpaired spinous process (processus spinosus) extends backwards along the median plane, and transverse processes (processus transversus) extend to the right and left of the arch. Pairedsuperior and inferior articular processes (processus articulates superiores et inferiores) extend upward and downward from the vertebral arch. The bases of the articular processes are limited by the superior and inferior vertebral notches (incisurae vertebrales superiores et inferiores). When adjacent vertebrae are connected to each other, the superior and inferior notches form the right and left intervertebral openings. Blood vessels and spinal nerves pass through these openings. At the same time, the vertebrae belonging to different parts of the spinal column have their own structural features.
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