What are the parts of the lumbar spine?
Lumbar (lower back): Five vertebrae (L1 to L5) make up the lower part of the spine. Your lumbar spine supports the upper parts of the spine. It connects to the pelvis and bears most of your body’s weight, as well as the stress of lifting and carrying items. Many back problems occur in the lumbar spine.
How many lumbar vertebrae are there?
The five lumbar vertebrae are numbered L1 to L5. These vertebrae are much larger in size to absorb the stress of lifting and carrying heavy objects. Sacrum – the main function of the sacrum is to connect the spine to the hip bones (iliac). There are five sacral vertebrae, which are fused together.
How many lumbar spinal segments are there?
Lumbar Intervertebral Segment Physicians usually explain a patient’s pathology by focusing on one intervertebral segment, or spinal segment. The lumbar spine has 5 intervertebral segments, termed lumbar segment 1 through 5 (e.g. L1, L2, L3, L4, and L5).
What is flexion of the lumbar spine?
Flexion is the anatomical name for forward bending. When treating back pain, many spine specialists encourage exercises to strengthen the muscles that act to bring the spine into flexion. In the lower back, approximately 50% of flexion occurs at the hips, and 50% occurs at the lower spine.
What muscles are attached to the lumbar spine?
Lumbar vertebrae provide attachment points for numerous muscles: erector spinae, interspinales, intertransversarii, latissimus dorsi, rotatores, and serratus posterior inferior.
Is it common to have 6 lumbar vertebrae?
Having a sixth lumbar vertebrae in your spine is uncommon, but far from extraordinary. About 10% of the population has an extra bone in this region. While additional vertebrae don’t typically affect your health, they can complicate treatment for spinal cord injuries.
What is an extra lumbar vertebrae called?
Function of the L6 vertebra Most people have five vertebrae in their lumbar (lower back) region, which are named L1 to L5. However, some people possess an additional lumbar vertebra located below the L5. This extra vertebra, known as the L6, is called a transitional vertebra.
Which region of the spine is responsible for the least amount of spinal flexion and extension?
It combines strength with great flexibility as it has many joints close together. Flexion and extension are common to all parts of the spine; a significant degree of flexion/extension can be achieved at the atlanto-occipital joint, cervical and lumbar spine, but is restricted in the thoracic spine.