The adult vertebral column has five major regions: cervical, thoracic, lumbar, sacral, and coccygeal. The cervical region has 7 vertebrae, thoracic has 12, lumbar has 5, sacral has 5 fused vertebrae, and the coccyx usually has 4 fused vertebrae.

From superior to inferior, the vertebral column is divided into cervical, thoracic, lumbar, sacral, and coccygeal regions. The cervical region (C1–C7) contains 7 vertebrae. The thoracic region (T1–T12) contains 12 vertebrae. The lumbar region (L1–L5) contains 5 vertebrae. The sacrum is formed by 5 fused vertebrae (S1–S5), and the coccyx is typically formed by 4 fused vertebrae, though 3 or 5 may occur. Thus the total in adults reflects both individual vertebrae and fused elements.

Key points

Cervical: 7 vertebrae (C1–C7)
Thoracic: 12 vertebrae (T1–T12)
Lumbar: 5 vertebrae (L1–L5)
Sacral: 5 fused vertebrae forming the sacrum
Coccygeal: usually 4 fused vertebrae forming the coccyx

What are the five major regions of the adult vertebral column, and how many vertebrae are in each?

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