Finding and selecting them again is very slow, so Spine remembers your selections and you can navigate through them using page down and page up. It is very common to need to select the same objects that you recently had selected. It can be useful to deselect, then drag in an empty area to box select. DeselectĬlearing the selection is often unnecessary but can be done by pressing spacebar, escape, or by double clicking anywhere in the viewport. Dragging with the middle mouse button will always box select, without needing to start in empty space. When nothing is selected, box selection can be done by dragging in empty space. To box select, hold ctrl ( cmd on Mac) and drag. To select multiple items, hold ctrl ( cmd on Mac) and click each item. With most tools, starting a drag on an unselected item will both select that item and begin manipulating it. Selecting an item in the viewport is done by simply clicking the item you want to select. Instead of a dedicated selection tool, Spine uses a smart selection system. Otherwise there are default hotkeys for switching tools: Pose This makes using multiple tools more efficient as it is much faster than clicking the toolbar buttons. Right clicking anywhere in the viewport will toggle between the current tool and the last selected tool. The spinal disc is also susceptible to a number of problems and may often be a source of pain, as discussed on the next page.Tools in Spine are found in the main toolbar:
The spinous process protrudes from the back of the spine, and these are the ridges that can be felt through the skin along the back of the spine.Įach vertebral segment is made up of two bony vertebrae with a spinal disc in between.The cartilage can degenerate as one ages, and lead to degenerative arthritis. The facet joints have cartilage on each surface and a capsule around them.This three-joint complex at each vertebral segment (the facet joint) provides support and allows for motion. The vertebral arches are interconnected by paired facet joints, which in combination with the disc, create a three joint complex at each vertebral motion segment.The vertebral bodies are attached to a bony arch through which all the nerve roots run.The thick oval segment of bone in the front of the spinal column is called the vertebral body.The vertebral bodies of the lower back are the largest of the spine and they bear the majority of the body's weight.Īpproximately 50% of flexion (bending forward) occurs at the hips, and 50% occurs at the lumbar spine (lower back).Įach segment of the lumbar spine is comprised of the following structures: The lumbar spine has five vertebral bodies, labeled L1-L5, that extend from the lower thoracic spine to the sacrum at bottom of the spine. See All About Upper Back Pain In This Article: Other areas of the upper back can also be a source of pain, it is just less common than in the neck or lower back. See When Back Pain Is a Spine Compression Fracture These fractures can lead to chronic back pain and progressive misalignment or deformity of the spine. Since they are major load bearing structures, vertebral bodies in the upper back are prone to developing compression fractures, particularly in patients with osteoporosis (which weakens the bone). There is little motion in the thoracic spine, so this region has less risk of injury or wear and tear. These structures have very little motion because they are firmly attached to the ribs and sternum (breastbone). See Thoracic Spine Anatomy and Upper Back Pain The thoracic spine makes up the upper back and has twelve vertebral bodies, labeled T1 through T12. See Cervical Vertebrae Vertebral Bodies in the Thoracic Spine The cervical vertebrae also serve an important function in protecting the spinal cord, which travels through a space in the center of the vertebral bones and connects the brain with the rest of the body. Unlike the rest of the spine, the segments in the cervical spine contain openings in each vertebral body for arteries to carry blood to the brain (vertebral artery running through the transverse foramen). Like the rest of the spine, the next five vertebral segments (named C3-C7) have three joints at each segment, including one disc in the front and paired facet joints in the back.See The C1-C2 Vertebrae and Spinal Segment The second vertebral body (called the axis), acts as a post that the first vertebral ring.The first cervical segment (called the atlas) is a ring that does not have a vertebral body.The cervical spine (the neck) has seven vertebral bodies, also called segments. Watch: Cervical Vertebrae Anatomy Animation The seven cervical vertebrae begin at the base of the skull and extend down to the thoracic spine.