The spine is an engineering marvel. Composed of bones, ligaments, muscle and nerve structures, the spine provides the main pathway between the brain and the rest of the body. It bears our body’s weight, allows us to bend and twist and flex, and is involved in every movement we make.

The spinal column contains 33 vertebrae — individual bones that extend from the base of the skull to the pelvis. These vertebrae are the weight bearing structures of the spinal column. The vertebrae have many important functions. They protect the spinal cord; provide a foundation for attachment of ligaments, tendons and muscles; allow for flexibility and mobility; and provide structural support.  

 
cervical: Commonly referred to as the neck. There are seven cervical vertebrae (doughnut-shaped bones) that conncect the skull to therest of the spine.
 
thoraic: The spine’s thoracic section begins at the shoulder and extends down to the end of the rib cage. There are 12 vertebrae in the upper back, with shock-absorbing disks between them. scoliosis commonly affects the thoracic section of the spine.
 
 
lumbar: The lumbar section, or lower back, has five vertebrae. these vertebrae, seperated by disks, are the spine. the lumbar section is also a common location for scoliosis to occur.
 
sacrum: There are five vertebrae that join together to form the sacrum, a wedge-shaped part of the spine that rests at the top of the pelvis.
 
coccyx: Often referred to as the tailbone, consists of four vertebrae.

 
Figure 1. Lateral (side) view of a normal spine.

The spine is divided into five sections: the cervical, thoracic, lumbar, sacrum and coccyx. The cervical spine, or neck, contains seven vertebrae (C1 to C7) located between the base of the skull and the shoulders. Next are the 12 vertebrae of the thoracic region (T1 to T12), which run from the shoulders to the bottom of the rib cage. The lumbar, or lower back, contain five vertebrae (L1 to L5). The sacrum, which is part of the pelvis, has five fused vertebrae (S1 to S5) and the coccyx has four vertebrae that compose the tailbone.

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