What cartilage is between the vertebrae?

What cartilage is between the vertebrae?

An intervertebral disc (or intervertebral fibrocartilage) lies between adjacent vertebrae in the vertebral column. Each disc forms a fibrocartilaginous joint (a symphysis), to allow slight movement of the vertebrae, to act as a ligament to hold the vertebrae together, and to function as a shock absorber for the spine.

What is the cushion between two vertebrae called?

Intervertebral disks: These flat, round cushions sit between the vertebrae and act as the spine’s shock absorbers. Each disk has a soft, gel-like center (the nucleus pulposus) surrounded by a flexible outer ring (the annulus). Intervertebral disks are under constant pressure.

What are the pads of cartilage between discs?

Intervertebral disk: A pad of cartilage between two vertebrae that acts as a shock absorber.

Why pads of cartilage are present between each pair of vertebra?

Cartilage In a Nutshell There is cartilage between vertebrae to cushion the vertebral bones (like shock absorbers) while you move your body. It protects the vertebrae from damage and the spine to remain flexible.

What is the middle section of the spine called?

thoracic
The thoracic is the center portion of the spine, consisting of 12 vertebrae. The lower portion of the spine is called the lumbar spine. It is usually made up of five vertebrae, however, some people may have six lumbar vertebrae.

What is the function of the discs of cartilage present between the vertebrae of the backbone?

The discs throughout the spine have three primary functions: They act as a shock absorbers in the spine, positioned between each bony vertebra. They act as tough ligaments that hold the vertebrae of the spine together. They are cartilaginous joints that allow for slight mobility in the spine.

Is ligamentum flavum elastic?

The ligamentum flavum is 80% elastic fibers and 20% collagen fibers. The elastic fibers within the ligamentum flavum prevent it from buckling into the intervertebral foramen (IVF) and vertebral canal, thus sparing the contents of these regions.

What are the five sections of the spine?

The spine is composed of 33 bones, called vertebrae, divided into five sections: the cervical, thoracic, and lumbar spine sections, and the sacrum and coccyx bones. The cervical section of the spine is made up of the top seven vertebrae in the spine, C1 to C7, and is connected to the base of the skull.

What type of cartilage is found between the vertebrae?

The cartilage between the vertebrae of the spine forms the spinal discs, or intervertebral fibrocartilage. Each disc has a tough outer ring surrounding more flexible fibers that float in a protein gel.

What is the intervertebral disc made of?

Between each vertebra lies oval-shaped tissue known as the intervertebral discs. These discs are only present in the non-fused regions of the spine (cervical, thoracic and lumbar) and are actually not entirely made of cartilage. Each intervertebral disc has a: Tough outer shell of cartilage, which is known as the annulus fibrosus, and

What is cartilage and why is it important?

Cartilage ensures a degree of spinal flexibility and allows us certain ranges of motion like bending forwards at the waist without damaging our spine. They might be coated in a thick layer of tough cartilage but the discs between vertebrae are far from indestructible!