The difference between cervical and lumbar spine

There is a big difference between the cervical vertebrae and the lumbar vertebrae. You must pay attention to distinguish them in normal times. Never mistake the cervical vertebrae for the lumbar vertebrae. The cervical vertebrae are behind the neck and the lumbar vertebrae are above the coccyx. Injuries to the lumbar and cervical vertebrae will cause big problems and dangers, so everyone must be vigilant in normal times.

Cervical vertebra refers to the cervical vertebrae, and its English name is: cervical vertebra. The cervical vertebrae are located below the head and above the thoracic vertebrae. The cervical spine is composed of seven cervical vertebrae. Except for the first and second cervical vertebrae, there is an intervertebral disc between the other cervical vertebrae. Together with the intervertebral disc between the seventh cervical vertebra and the first thoracic vertebra, there are a total of 6 intervertebral discs in the cervical spine. Except for the special structure of the first and second cervical vertebrae, the other cervical vertebrae are roughly similar to the thoracic and lumbar vertebrae, and are composed of basic structures such as the vertebral body, vertebral arch, and processes (including transverse processes, upper and lower articular processes, and spinous processes). The vertebral body is in front and the vertebral arch is in the back, and the two together form the vertebral foramen. All the vertebral foramina are connected to form the vertebral canal, which contains the spinal cord. The cervical vertebra is the smallest segment in the spine, but it has the greatest flexibility, the highest frequency of activity, and the greatest load-bearing capacity.

Lumbar vertebrae: The vertebral body is relatively large; the spinous processes extend horizontally and plate-like to the back, and the gaps between adjacent spinous processes are wide, which can be used for lumbar puncture; the articular process articular surfaces are in the sagittal position. The human body has five lumbar vertebrae, each of which consists of a vertebral body in the front and an attachment in the back.

The inner edge of the vertebral lamina is arch-shaped , and the vertebral arch and the posterior edge of the vertebral body form a vertebral foramen. The upper and lower vertebral foramina are connected to form the vertebral canal, through which the spinal cord and nerves pass. The joint between the two vertebral bodies is the intervertebral disc. It consists of two parts: the annulus fibrosus and the nucleus pulposus. The nucleus pulposus is located in the center of the intervertebral disc. It is a water-rich, jelly-like elastic protein. Surrounding the nucleus pulposus is the annulus fibrosus, which connects the two vertebrae together and firmly fixes the nucleus pulposus in the center.