Axial skeleton · Vertebral column
Typical vertebra
A typical vertebra has a weight-bearing body in front and a vertebral arch behind, which together surround the vertebral foramen that holds the spinal cord and its coverings. The model shown here is the third lumbar vertebra (L3); the same parts are present in cervical and thoracic vertebrae, with regional differences that let you identify them.
- Latin (TA)
- Vertebra
- Type
- Irregular bone: its body, arch and processes give it a complex shape that fits no simple long, short or flat pattern
- Side
- Midline — single
- Model size
- 8.5 cm longest
Rotate the bone to inspect every surface. Blue dots are landmarks — tap one.
3D model: Z-Anatomy (CC BY-SA 4.0), derived from BodyParts3D © DBCLS (CC BY-SA 2.1 JP). Adapted by PharmaWallah. Credits & licence
Landmarks
17 of 19 marked on the modelTap a landmark to find it on the bone and read what it is.
The large, roughly cylindrical anterior part of the vertebra.
Where: Anterior part of the vertebra, in front of the vertebral foramen.
Why it matters: Carries body weight. Bodies become larger from above down the column, so the lumbar bodies are the largest. Its shape identifies the region: kidney-shaped in lumbar, heart-shaped in thoracic, small and oval in cervical vertebrae.
Related: Joined to the bodies above and below by intervertebral discs.
Viva: Why are lumbar vertebral bodies the largest?
Marked on the model at the point Z-Anatomy places this label.
The posterior ring of bone formed by the two pedicles and the two laminae.
Where: Behind the vertebral body, enclosing the vertebral foramen.
Why it matters: Protects the spinal cord and gives origin to all seven processes.
Marked on the model at the point Z-Anatomy places this label.
A short, thick bar of bone joining the vertebral arch to the body.
Where: Projects backwards from the upper part of the back of the body, one on each side.
Why it matters: The vertebral notches lie above and below each pedicle; notches of adjacent vertebrae form the intervertebral foramen.
Viva: What two parts make up the vertebral arch?
Marked on the model at the point Z-Anatomy places this label.
A flat plate of bone forming the back of the vertebral arch.
Where: Runs from the pedicle backwards and medially to meet its partner at the root of the spinous process.
Why it matters: The ligamenta flava join the laminae of adjacent vertebrae. Removal of a lamina (laminectomy) is used to relieve pressure on the cord or nerve roots.
Related: Ligamentum flavum.
Marked on the model at the point Z-Anatomy places this label.
The opening enclosed by the back of the body and the vertebral arch.
Where: Centre of the vertebra, between body and arch.
Why it matters: The vertebral foramina of all vertebrae together form the vertebral canal, containing the spinal cord (or, below its end, the cauda equina) and the meninges. Its shape helps identify the region: triangular in cervical and lumbar, small and round in thoracic vertebrae.
Marked on the model at the point Z-Anatomy places this label.
The single posterior projection from the junction of the two laminae.
Where: Midline, at the back of the vertebral arch.
Why it matters: Lever for muscles that extend and rotate the column, and attachment for the supraspinous and interspinous ligaments. Its shape identifies the region: short and bifid (cervical), long and sloping downwards (thoracic), short, thick and hatchet-shaped, pointing straight back (lumbar).
Related: Supraspinous and interspinous ligaments.
Viva: Describe the spinous process of a lumbar vertebra.
Marked on the model at the point Z-Anatomy places this label.
A lateral projection from each side of the vertebral arch at the junction of pedicle and lamina.
Where: One on each side, projecting laterally.
Why it matters: Lever and attachment for muscles and ligaments. In cervical vertebrae it contains the foramen transversarium; in thoracic vertebrae (most of them) it bears a facet for the tubercle of a rib; in lumbar vertebrae it is long, thin and has neither.
Related: Intertransverse ligaments; quadratus lumborum and psoas major in the lumbar region.
Marked on the model at the point Z-Anatomy places this label.
An upward projection from the junction of pedicle and lamina on each side.
Where: Upper part of the vertebral arch, one each side.
Why it matters: Carries the superior articular facet, which forms a zygapophysial (facet) joint with the inferior articular process of the vertebra above.
Related: Zygapophysial joint.
Marked on the model at the point Z-Anatomy places this label.
The smooth, cartilage-covered surface on the superior articular process.
Where: Posterior or medial face of the superior articular process.
Why it matters: Its direction controls movement and identifies the region. Lumbar superior facets are concave and face backwards and medially, which limits rotation; thoracic facets face backwards and lie close to a coronal plane, which allows rotation; cervical facets face upwards and backwards.
Viva: Which way do the superior articular facets of a lumbar vertebra face?
Marked on the model at the point Z-Anatomy places this label.
The downward projection from the lamina on each side, and the smooth facet on it.
Where: Lower part of the vertebral arch, one on each side.
Why it matters: Forms a zygapophysial joint with the superior articular process of the vertebra below. In lumbar vertebrae the facet faces forwards and laterally.
Related: Zygapophysial joint.
Marked on the model at the point Z-Anatomy places this label.
A deep notch on the lower border of the pedicle.
Where: Below each pedicle.
Why it matters: Forms the upper boundary of the intervertebral foramen below the pedicle. Because it is the deeper notch, it helps orient the bone.
Marked on the model at the point Z-Anatomy places this label.
The opening between two adjacent vertebrae, formed by the inferior notch of the vertebra above and the superior notch of the vertebra below.
Where: On each side between adjacent pedicles; bounded in front by the bodies and the disc and behind by the zygapophysial joint.
Why it matters: Transmits a spinal nerve and vessels. A herniated disc or arthritic facet joint can narrow it and compress the nerve.
Viva: What forms the intervertebral foramen?
Marked on the model at the point Z-Anatomy places this label.
Classification & region
Irregular bone: its body, arch and processes give it a complex shape that fits no simple long, short or flat pattern.
- Vertebral body
- The thick, drum-shaped front part that carries body weight and is joined to the bodies above and below by intervertebral discs.
- Vertebral arch
- The ring of bone behind the body, made of two pedicles and two laminae, which encloses the vertebral foramen.
- Processes
- Seven processes project from the arch: one spinous process, two transverse processes, and two superior and two inferior articular processes.
Hold it in the anatomical position
- Put the body in front (anterior) and the spinous process behind (posterior), pointing towards you if you stand behind the patient.
- The flat surfaces of the body face up and down; the spinous process of a lumbar vertebra sticks straight backwards.
- The superior articular processes project upwards from the junction of pedicle and lamina; the inferior articular processes project downwards from the laminae.
- The superior vertebral notch is shallow and the inferior vertebral notch is deep: the deeper notch is below.
Orientation (a midline bone has no side)
- Anterior vs posterior: the body is anterior; the vertebral arch and spinous process are posterior.
- Superior vs inferior: the superior articular processes point upwards and their facets face backwards (and, in the lumbar region, medially); the inferior articular processes point downwards.
- Check with the notches: the deeper inferior vertebral notch lies below the pedicle.
- Identify the region: look for foramina transversaria (cervical), costal facets on the body (thoracic), or a large kidney-shaped body with neither (lumbar).
A vertebra is a single midline bone with right and left halves that mirror each other, so it has no side. In the practical you are asked to orient it and name its region, not to side it.
Articulations
- With the vertebra above at the Intervertebral disc joint (symphysis, secondary cartilaginous) — Superior surface of the vertebral body..
- With the vertebra below at the Intervertebral disc joint (symphysis, secondary cartilaginous) — Inferior surface of the vertebral body..
- With the vertebra above at the Zygapophysial (facet) joint, synovial plane joint — Superior articular facets..
- With the vertebra below at the Zygapophysial (facet) joint, synovial plane joint — Inferior articular facets..
- With the ribs (thoracic vertebrae only, not the l3 model) at the Joints of the heads of ribs and costotransverse joints (synovial plane joints) — Costal facets on the body and transverse costal facets on the transverse processes..
Muscle and ligament attachments
| Structure | Type | Where on the bone |
|---|---|---|
| Anterior longitudinal ligament | ligament | Anterior surface of the vertebral body (and disc). |
| Posterior longitudinal ligament | ligament | Posterior surface of the vertebral body (and disc), inside the vertebral canal. |
| Ligamentum flavum | ligament | Laminae, connecting those of adjacent vertebrae. |
| Interspinous and supraspinous ligaments | ligament | Spinous process. |
| Intertransverse ligament | ligament | Transverse processes of adjacent vertebrae. |
| Psoas major | origin | Lumbar vertebrae: sides of the bodies, intervening discs and transverse processes. |
| Quadratus lumborum | insertion | Tips of the upper lumbar transverse processes (with the 12th rib). |
| Thoracolumbar fascia | other | Lumbar spinous processes and tips of the transverse processes. |
| Erector spinae and transversospinalis (including multifidus) | other | Spinous, transverse, mammillary and accessory processes. |
Functions
- Supports the weight of the head, trunk and upper limbs and passes it down to the pelvis.
- Protects the spinal cord and nerve roots inside the vertebral canal.
- Allows movement of the trunk (flexion, extension, lateral flexion, rotation) through the discs and facet joints.
- Gives attachment to muscles and ligaments of the back and trunk.
- Lets spinal nerves leave the canal through the intervertebral foramina.
Clinical & practical relevance
- Disc herniation: the nucleus of a disc can bulge backwards and laterally and compress a spinal nerve root near the intervertebral foramen, causing pain along that nerve.
- Spondylolysis and spondylolisthesis: a defect of the pars interarticularis can let a vertebra slip forwards on the one below.
- Lumbar puncture is done between lower lumbar spinous processes, below the level at which the spinal cord ends in adults, so the needle meets nerve roots that move aside rather than the cord.
- Osteoporotic compression (wedge) fractures of vertebral bodies are common in older adults and are one reason drugs for osteoporosis are prescribed.
Identification tips
- Count the processes: seven on every typical vertebra (1 spinous + 2 transverse + 4 articular).
- Region check in three questions: Hole in the transverse process? Cervical. Facets on the side of the body? Thoracic. Neither, and a big body? Lumbar.
- The deep notch is the inferior one: use it to tell up from down.
- Remember the model is L3: point to mammillary and accessory processes as lumbar giveaways.
Common student mistakes
- Calling the vertebral foramen the vertebral canal: the foramen is one vertebra's hole; the canal is all of them together.
- Mixing up the intervertebral foramen (between two vertebrae, for a spinal nerve) with the vertebral foramen (in one vertebra, for the cord).
- Thinking the spinous process of every vertebra slopes downwards: that is a thoracic feature; lumbar spines point straight back.
- Trying to name a side for a vertebra: it is a midline bone.
Common exam questions
Name the parts of a typical vertebra.Show answer
Body; vertebral arch (two pedicles and two laminae); vertebral foramen; seven processes: one spinous, two transverse, two superior and two inferior articular.
How do you identify a cervical vertebra?Show answer
A foramen transversarium in each transverse process, a small oval body, a large triangular vertebral foramen and (in typical ones) a short bifid spinous process.
How do you identify a thoracic vertebra?Show answer
Costal facets (demifacets) on the sides of the body, facets for rib tubercles on most transverse processes, a heart-shaped body, a small round vertebral foramen and a long downward-sloping spinous process.
How do you identify a lumbar vertebra?Show answer
A large kidney-shaped body, no foramen transversarium and no costal facets, a triangular vertebral foramen, a short thick hatchet-shaped spinous process, and mammillary and accessory processes.
What forms the intervertebral foramen and what passes through it?Show answer
The inferior notch of the vertebra above and the superior notch of the vertebra below; it transmits a spinal nerve and vessels.
What joints connect two adjacent vertebrae?Show answer
The intervertebral disc between the bodies (secondary cartilaginous) and a pair of zygapophysial joints between the articular processes (synovial plane).
What is the pars interarticularis and why does it matter?Show answer
The part of the lamina between the superior and inferior articular processes; a defect there (spondylolysis) can lead to forward slipping of the vertebra.
Revision summary
- Body in front, vertebral arch (pedicles + laminae) behind, vertebral foramen between.
- Seven processes: one spinous, two transverse, four articular.
- Adjacent notches form the intervertebral foramen, which transmits a spinal nerve.
- Bodies joined by discs (secondary cartilaginous); articular processes by zygapophysial joints (synovial plane).
- Cervical: foramen transversarium. Thoracic: costal facets. Lumbar: large body, neither of these.
- The 3D model is L3, a lumbar vertebra.
Test yourself on the typical vertebra
Spotting questions on bones, sides and landmarks — untimed, with explanations.
References
- Drake RL, Vogl AW, Mitchell AWM. Gray's Anatomy for Students. 5th ed. Philadelphia: Elsevier; 2023.
- Moore KL, Dalley AF, Agur AMR. Moore's Clinically Oriented Anatomy. 9th ed. Philadelphia: Wolters Kluwer; 2023.
- Federative International Programme for Anatomical Terminology (FIPAT). Terminologia Anatomica. 2nd ed. FIPAT.library.dal.ca; 2019. fipat.library.dal.ca/TA2
- Kervyn G, Zielinski M, Vinent L, et al. Z-Anatomy: the libre 3D atlas of anatomy. Models derived from BodyParts3D, The Database Center for Life Science (CC BY-SA 2.1 JP). CC BY-SA 4.0. www.z-anatomy.com/
Prepared by the PharmaWallah student team. Verify results with your textbook or instructor. Report an error · Editorial policy