- The bones of the vertebral column are serially articulated by their bodies and by the neural processes.
- Most of the joints are articulated by some common or common variety of ligaments and therefore called as common vertebral articulations.
- There are few joints in the vertebral column, which are not articulated by common ligaments, are called as special vertebral articulations.
- The common vertebral articulations are of two kinds:
- Intercentral – those formed between the bodies of the vertebrae
- Interneural – those formed between articular processes of adjacent vertebrae.
- Associated with these joints are ligaments, some of which extend the whole length of vertebral column-the common ligaments and some are restricted to a single joint-the special ligaments.
- The special vertebral articulations are the occipito-atlantoaxial and the coccygeal articulations.
