Bone
Typical lumbar vertebra
L1–L5
High-yield
Largest vertebral bodies; no transverse or costal foramina. The 'Scottie dog' on oblique X-ray; its neck is the pars interarticularis (spondylolysis).
Overview
A large, weight-bearing vertebra of the lower back with a massive kidney-shaped body and short, blunt spinous process.
Reference facts
- Bone type
Irregular (vertebra)
- Key landmarks
Large kidney-shaped body; Short blunt spinous process; Mammillary and accessory processes; Pars interarticularis
- Articulations
Adjacent vertebrae; Sacrum (L5–S1)