Question

You have 7 cervical vertebrae, 12 thoracic vertebrae and 5 lumbar vertebrae. . Please list 3 things you plan to look for in order to conclusively

identify the 3 vertebral types

Answer 1

To identify the difference between cervical, thoracic and lumbar vertebrae, look for the following:
1. Size of the vertebral body: cervical vertebrae have the smallest vertebral bodies. Thoracic vertebral bodies have a larger diameter than cervical vertebrae, and lumbar vertebrae have the largest diameters.
2. Facet joints: the facet joints between the vertebrae differ based on the region. Cervical vertebrae have small, ring-shaped facet joints that are arranged as a pair on either side of the ligamentum flavum. Thoracic spine has small and oval-shaped facet joints, while lumbar spine facet joints are larger and more triangular.