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COMMON INJURY DEFINITIONS

Spine - The backbone or vertebral column, composed of vertebrae separated by intervertebral disks and bound together by ligaments.

Vertebrae - One of the bony segments of the spinal column. There are 33: 7 cervical (neck), 12 thoracic, 5 lumbar (back), 5 sacral and 4 coccygeal. Each consists of a body, or centrum. An arch of bone, the neural arch, arises from the body to enclose a cavity, the vertebral canal, through which the spinal cord passes.

Lumbar Vertebrae - The five vertebrae in the lower part of the back, located between the thoracic vertebrae and the sacrum. They are the largest of the vertebrae and are referred to as L-1, L-2, L-3, L-4 and L-5.

Ligament - A cord, band or sheet of fibrous connective tissue, linking two or more bones or other structures together. They usually impart stability and prevent excessive motion in certain directions.

Degenerative Disk Disease - A condition in which the intervertebral disk loses its normal structural integrity as a result of wear and tear, repeated injuries, or aging. Secondary effects may be disk space narrowing and formation of osteophytes.

Disk - A circular or rounded flat plate commonly used to refer to the intervertebral disk, which is composed of a nucleus pulposis and an annular fibrosis. It is like a soft, rubbery pad between the hard vertebral bones. Nucleus Pulposis: The central, semi-elastic, spongy zone of the intervertebral disk. Annulus Fibrosus: The outer concentric layers of the fibrous tissue in the intervertebral disks.

Herniated Disk (also called ruptured or slipped disk) - A pathologic condition in which the nucleus pulposis of an intervertebral disk has protruded through the surrounding fibrocartilage or annulus fibrosis.

Bulging Disk - When the displaced material causes a discrete bulge in the annulus, but no material escapes through the annular fibers.

Spinal Stenosis - A narrowing of the spinal cord canal which causes cord or spinal nerve compression.

Spinal Stenosis - A narrowing of the spinal cord canal which causes cord or spinal nerve compression.

Coccyx - The lowermost element of the backbone containing four fused vertebrae in a triangular bone that articulates with the sacrum.

Sacrum - Part of the backbone with five fused vertebrae that articulates above the last lumbar vertebra at the coccyx and the pelvic bones.

Spinal Fusion - A surgical process by which two or more vertebrae are fused together with bone grafts and internal devices such as metal rods to heal into a single solid bone. The surgery eliminates motion between vertebral segments, which may be desirable when motion is the cause of significant pain.

Discectomy - An excision of all or part of an intervertebral disc often done to decompress a nerve root.

Laminectomy - Surgical removal of the posterior bony arches of one or more vertebrae in order to expose the neural elements in the spinal cord.

Radiculopathy - An abnormality of a spinal nerve secondary to irritation of the root causing sensory changes such as tingling, numbness and weakness.

MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) - A non-invasive imaging technique using radio waves and magnets, used especially for soft tissue contrast.

CT Scan (computerized axial tomography) - A non-invasive imaging technique using a computer to reconstruct anatomic features, used especially for cross-sectional studies.

EMG (electromyelogram) - The record of electrical activity in a skeletal muscle, obtained by applying electrodes to the surface or a needle into the muscle, used to diagnose nerve and muscle disorders.