The
vertebral foramen is a large opening located within the vertebral column, also known as the spine or backbone. It is formed by the vertebral body and the vertebral arch, and it houses and protects the spinal cord, which is a bundle of nerves that extends from the brain to the lower body.
Structure
The vertebral foramen is an oval-shaped opening located within the vertebral column, which is made up of a series of small bones called vertebrae. The vertebral column is divided into four regions: the cervical (neck), thoracic (chest), lumbar (lower back), and sacral (pelvic) regions. Each vertebra in the vertebral column has a vertebral foramen, and the size and shape of the foramen vary depending on the region of the spine.
The vertebral body is the main weight-bearing part of the vertebra, and it is located in the center of the vertebra. The
vertebral arch is a bony ring that surrounds the vertebral foramen and is made up of two pedicles and two laminae. The pedicles are small bony protuberances that extend laterally from the vertebral body, and the laminae are thin plates of bone that extend posteriorly from the pedicles. The pedicles and laminae form a bony arch that surrounds and protects the spinal cord.
The vertebral foramen is not a solid structure; rather, it is an opening that is filled with soft tissue, such as the spinal cord, spinal nerves, and blood vessels. The spinal cord is a bundle of nerves that extends from the brain to the lower body, and it is responsible for transmitting signals between the brain and the rest of the body. The spinal nerves are branches of the spinal cord that emerge from the vertebral foramen and innervate (supply sensory and motor fibers to) various parts of the body. The blood vessels in the vertebral foramen provide oxygen and nutrients to the spinal cord and surrounding tissues.
Location
The vertebral foramen is located within the vertebral column, which extends from the base of the skull to the
pelvis. The vertebral column is made up of a series of small bones called vertebrae, which are stacked on top of each other and separated by intervertebral discs. The intervertebral discs are thin, flat structures that act as shock absorbers and allow the spine to bend and twist.
[7]
The vertebral foramen is located within each vertebra, and the size and shape of the foramen vary depending on the region of the
spine. In the cervical region (neck), the vertebral foramen is small and oval-shaped, and it is located between the seventh cervical vertebra (C7) and the first thoracic vertebra (T1). In the thoracic region (chest), the vertebral foramen is larger and oval-shaped, and it is located between the first thoracic vertebra (T1) and the twelfth thoracic vertebra (T12). In the lumbar region (lower back), the vertebral foramen is large and triangular-shaped, and it is located between the first lumbar vertebra (L1) and the fifth lumbar vertebra (L5).
[5]In the sacral region (pelvic), the vertebral foramen is not present because the sac
ral vertebrae are fused together to form the sacrum, which is a triangular-shaped bone located at the base of the spine.