A new study conducted by Japanese researchers suggests that the risk of disability in old age can be predicted by studying the shape of a person's spinal column. A team of researchers based in Japan ...

What Is the Cervical Spine? Where Is the Cervical Spine Located? A long, flexible column extending through most of your upper body, the spinal column consists of seven bones called vertebrae. The ...

Chiari (pronounced kee-aa-ree) malformation is a group of conditions where the lower back part of your brain pushes against or into the hole where your spinal cord enters your skull, called the ...

Thoracic ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament (TOPLL) is a rare condition associated with ectopic bone formation in the thoracic spine. A long-term follow-up study from Japan shows ...

Bones called vertebrae make up your spine. Muscles and ligaments connect your vertebrae to each other. Between the vertebrae lie soft, flat discs that provide cushioning and support. Each vertebra ...

Our spinal column is different from that of apes because — yes, you guessed that right — we walk upright on two feet. But when did our distinctive back structure first evolve? The skeleton of an early ...