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.
Vertebral Joints.jpg
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.