The Spine

Spine Facts

• The spine is made up of 33 vertebrae.
• More than 13 million neurons are found in the spine.
• Adults only have 26 vertebrae because bones fuse together as we age.
• There are 220 ligaments in the spine.
• There are 7 vertebrae in the necks of humans and giraffes.
• The spine has over 120 muscles.
• There are 5 spinal cord regions:
  • 7 cervical vertebrae
  • 12 thoracic vertebrae
  • 5 lumbar
  • sacrum fused vertebrae
  • 4 coccyx fused vertebrae
• The spine has over 100 joints
• The 4 coccyx vertebrae fuse together to form the tail bone
• The average weight of the spinal cord is 35 grams
• The spine has 3 important functions:
  • movement of the trunk
  • support for the body and respiratory function
  • protect the spinal cord & nerve structures
• Primary motions of the spine:
  • flexion (forward)
  • extension ((backward)
  • bending (left & right)
  • rotation (central axis)