Biomedical Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Fig. 5.38 a-c CAD model of the head with differentiation of skin, fat, muscle and bone and
d partial FE mesh
Fig. 5.39
3D surface representation of the skull including vertebrae generated from STL data
5.3.3.1 Anatomy of the Spine
The human spine incorporates 34 vertebral bodies and is divided into five regions.
The cervical spine consists of seven cervical vertebrae, the thoracic spine of 12
thoracic vertebrae and the lumbar spine, the os sacrum and the coccyx each include
five lumbar and tailbone vertebrae (Sobotta 2007). The vertebrae of the tailbone
are fused and are a rudiment of evolutionary history. The tailbone now serves as
the juncture for gluteal muscles and ligaments. Thus, the spine has 24 free ver-
tebrae, numbered as shown in Fig.
5.40
a (Prometheus 2005).
C1 to C7:
Vertebrae of the cervical spine (cervical vertebrae) where C1 is
also referred to as ''Atlas'' and C2 as ''Axis''
Th1 to Th12:
Vertebrae of the thoracic spine (thoracic vertebrae)
L1 to L5:
Vertebrae of the lumbar spine (lumbar vertebrae)
