intervertebral disk

Intervertebral disc
Median sagittal section of two lumbar vertebræ and their ligaments. (Intervertebral fibrocartilage labeled at center left.)
Costotransverse articulation. Seen from above. (Intervertebral fibrocartilage labeled at top center .)
Latin	disci intervertebrales
Gray's	subject #72 289
MeSH	Intervertebral+Disk

Intervertebral discs (or intervertebral fibrocartilage) lie between adjacent vertebrae in the spine. Each disc forms a cartilaginous joint to allow slight movement of the vertebrae, and acts as a ligament to hold the vertebrae together.

Structure

Discs consist of an outer annulus fibrosus, which surrounds the inner nucleus pulposus. The annulus fibrosus consists of several layers of fibrocartilage. The strong annular fibers contain the nucleus pulposus and distribute pressure evenly across the disc. The nucleus pulposus contains loose fibers suspended in a mucoprotein gel the consistency of jelly. The nucleus of the disc acts as a shock absorber, absorbing the impact of the body's daily activities and keeping the two vertebrae separated. The disc can be likened to a doughnut: whereby the annulus fibrosis is similar to the dough and the nucleus pulposis is the jelly. If one presses down on the front of the doughnut the jelly moves posteriorly or to the back. When one develops a prolapsed disc the jelly/ nucleus pulposus is forced out of the doughnut/ disc and may put pressure on the nerve located near the disc. This can give one the symptoms of sciatica.

Cervical vertebra with intervertebral disc

There is one disc between each pair of vertebrae, except for the first cervical segment, the atlas. The atlas is a ring around the roughly cone-shaped extension of the axis (second cervical segment). The axis acts as a post around which the atlas can rotate, allowing the neck to swivel. There are a total of twenty-three discs in the spine, which are most commonly identified by specifying the particular vertebrae they separate. For example, the disc between the fifth and sixth cervical vertabrae is designated "C5-6".

Medical conditions related to the intervertebral disc

As people age, the nucleus pulposus begins to dehydrate, which limits its ability to absorb shock. The annulus fibrosus gets weaker with age and begins to tear. While this may not cause pain in some people, in others one or both of these may cause chronic pain.

See also

• Back pain
• Sciatica
• Spinal disc herniation
• Vertebral column
• Spinal stenosis

Additional images

Artificial intervertebral disc

Posterior longitudinal ligament, in the thoracic region.

Median sagittal section through the occipital bone and first three cervical vertebræ.

Costovertebral articulations. Anterior view.

External links

• Intervertebral Discs
• Spinal Disc Summary
• Cross section at UV pembody/body12a