Lumbar Vertebrae Discussion

Lumbar vertebrae: Wikimedia Commons
  • Kidney Shaped broad Body
  • Ring epiphysis- outer rim elevated
  • Inner part depressed
  • Typical Lumbar- first 4
  • Atypical Lumbar 5th
  • Kidney shaped body
  • broad
  • Outer rim elevated- ring epiphysis
  • Inner part is depressed
  • 1st 4- typical- lumbo sacral angle is formed by the intervertebral disc
  • 5th lumbar- atypical
  • 4 surfaces-
    • Superior
    • Inferior
    • Anterior
    • Posterior- with foramen for Basi vertebral veins
  • No facets. Transverse process is thick, especially in 4th and 5th.
  • Elevations in bottom of transverse process- Accessory process
  • Mamillary and accessory process are present in all typical lumbar vertebrae and erector spinae muscle are attached to it
  • Superior articulating facet faces medially
  • 5th lumbar-
    • Atypical
    • Concavity in anterior surface
    • Forms the lumbo-sacral angle
  • Lumbarisation-
    • Sacral vertebrae comes out and acts as a separate lumbar vertebrae
  • Sacralisation-
    • Last lumbar is attached to sacrum
  • Superior and inferior articulating facets.
  • Superior articulating facet has an extra tubercle like structure on upper- mamillary process
  • Spine is less oblique
  • Spinous process is thick
  • Intervertebral foramen present
  • Ligamentum flava attached at the posterior aspect