What Does vertebra Mean
The vertebrae are the short bones that make up the spine . These bone structures are articulated with each other.
The intervertebral discs function as a separation between the vertebrae. These are cartilaginous structures that act as ligaments and that, in turn, enable the vertebrae to carry out certain movements.
An adult human has twenty-four vertebrae , while a child has thirty-three vertebrae . This is because, in adulthood, the bones of the coccyx and sacrum come together, thereby fusing four coccygeal vertebrae on one side and five sacral vertebrae on the other.
If we analyze the human spine starting from the bottom, the coccyx or coccyx appears first and then the sacrum . Next we find the five lumbar vertebrae , the twelve thoracic vertebrae, and the seven cervical vertebrae , in that order.
It is important to mention that most vertebrae have a similar structure. The exceptions are the first and second cervical vertebrae (the atlas and the axis ), whose characteristics are slightly different.
While the cervical vertebrae constitute the neck , the thoracic vertebrae form part of the thorax and have the ribs attached to them. Below the last thoracic vertebra and above the sacrum are the lumbar vertebrae.
Among the functions of the vertebrae, it should be noted that these bones allow a person to stand up , for example. They also provide protection to the spinal cord . The vertebrae, on the other hand, can suffer from various disorders and conditions such as disease, trauma, and infection.
As a curious fact, most of the injuries in the vertebrae are caused by traffic accidents, falls or blows in the middle of practicing a sport and aggressions in hand-to-hand fights. This may indicate that in ancient times, long before civilization as we know it today, it is likely that our ancestors did not suffer this type of damage as often.
The spinal cord is a structure fragile tubelike originating where ends of the brain stem and continues until it reaches the base of the spine. It is made up of a series of nerves that carry input and output messages that travel between the brain and other parts of the body. As can be guessed, a spinal cord injury has the potential to affect the vertebrae , as well as the spinal nerves, whose roots lie between the vertebrae.
As the spinal column protects and surrounds the spinal cord, any injury to the first or its connective tissue (either the ligaments or the intervertebral discs) also affects the second. Some examples of this indirect damage are the following:
* complete separation (also known as dislocation ) of the adjacent vertebrae;
* fractures;
* subluxation (that is, a partial misalignment) of the adjacent vertebrae;
* distention of the connecting ligaments, which are made up of connective tissue and lie between the adjacent vertebrae;
Suspecting that a person has suffered an injury such as those described above, the doctor will need to perform diagnostic tests such as an X-ray (usually done immediately after the injury occurs, in the emergency room), one computed tomography (independently radiography, provides a greater degree of precision to observe bone lesions) or magnetic resonance nuclear (the most appropriate for damage to the spinal cord and spinal column). It should be noted that this last test cannot be performed in patients with devices such as pacemakers.