Читать книгу Anatomy of bone system. The manual for medical students / Анатомия костной системы. Учебное пособие для медицинских вузов - Г. И. Ничипорук - Страница 20

The distinctive feature of the lumbar vertebra, vertebrae lumbales (L_I– L_V), is a beanshaped massive body. The transverse size of the body is wider than the anteroposterior size. The height and width of the body gradually increases from the I to the V vertebrae. The vertebral foramen is large and triangular with rounded angles. The articular processes are well developed, their articular surfaces are located in the sagittal plane: the articular surfaces of the superior processes are directed medially, the articular surfaces of the inferior processes are directed laterally (fig. 2.5).

The superior articular process may have a rudimental tubercle named mammillary process, processus mamillaris. The lumbar vertebra`s transverse processes are formed by fusion of rudimental ribs with the transverse processes of the vertebra. They are located in the frontal plane, their ends are tilted backwards. Often the accessory process, processus accessorius, may be present at the base of the transverse process. The spinous processes are short and flat, their ends are thickened; they are located almost at the same level with the vertebral body and directed backwards.

Fig. 2.5. Lumbar vertebra (lateral aspect):

1 – vertebral body (corpus vertebrae); 2 – superior articular process (processus articularis superior); 3 – spinous process (processus spinosus); 4 – inferior articular process (processus articularis inferior); 5 – transverse process (processus transversus)