VERTEBRAL JOINTS-INTERVERTEBRAL DISC
From NeuroRehab.wiki
SUMMARY
1. Intervertebral disc is a secondary cartilagenous joint.
2. Growth of the vertebral bodies occurs in a ventral and lateral direction, hence the nucleus pulposus comes to lie at the back of the disc.
3. The nucleus pulposus accounts for 15% of the whole disc, 90% of which is water at birth. This reduced to 70% by old age.
4. The proteoglycan component of the nucleus pulposus is hydrophilic.
5. This helps to cushion and distribute the load on the spine.
Image: Dr. Appukutty Manickam.
Reference(s)
R.M.H McMinn (1998). Last’s anatomy: regional and applied. Edinburgh: Churchill Livingstone. Get it on Amazon.
Drake, Richard L., et al. Gray's Anatomy for Students. Elsevier, 2023. Get it on Amazon.
