Spinal Cord Society of Australia

The Vertebral Column (Spinal Column) supports the head and encloses the spinal cord.

The spinal column is comprised of 33 bones, these bones are refered to individually as vertebrae. The spinal column is divided into 5 different areas contaning groups of vertebrae and are refered to as follows:

• 7 cervical vertebrae in the neck
• 12 thoracic vertebrae in the upper back corresponding to each pair of ribs
• 5 lumbar vertebrae in the lower back
• 5 sacral vertebrae which are fused together to form 1 bone called the sacrum and
• 4 coccygeal vertebrae that are also fused together to form the coccyx or tailbone.

The vertebrae are referred to by their name and number, counting down from the top of the spinal column as follows:

• The cervical vertebrae are C1 - C7
• The thoracic vertebrae are T1 –T12
• The lumbar are L1 – L5
• The sacrum and coccyx do not have numbers and each is thought of as one bone.