Sacrum in the context of "Coccygeal vertebrae"

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⭐ Core Definition: Sacrum

The sacrum (pl.: sacra or sacrums), in human anatomy, is a triangular bone at the base of the spine that forms by the fusing of the sacral vertebrae (S1–S5) between ages 18 and 30.

The sacrum situates at the upper, back part of the pelvic cavity, between the two wings of the pelvis. It forms joints with four other bones. The two projections at the sides of the sacrum are called the alae (wings), and articulate with the ilium at the L-shaped sacroiliac joints. The upper part of the sacrum connects with the last lumbar vertebra (L5), and its lower part with the coccyx (tailbone) via the sacral and coccygeal cornua.

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Sacrum in the context of Kyphosis

Kyphosis (from Greek κυφός (kyphos) 'hump') is an abnormally excessive convex curvature of the spine as it occurs in the thoracic and sacral regions. Abnormal inward concave lordotic curving of the cervical and lumbar regions of the spine is called lordosis.

It can result from degenerative disc disease; developmental abnormalities, most commonly Scheuermann's disease; Copenhagen disease, osteoporosis with compression fractures of the vertebra; multiple myeloma; or trauma.

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Sacrum in the context of Lordosis

Lordosis is historically defined as an abnormal inward curvature of the lumbar spine. However, the terms lordosis and lordotic are also used to refer to the normal inward curvature of the lumbar and cervical regions of the human spine. Similarly, kyphosis historically refers to abnormal convex curvature of the spine. The normal outward (convex) curvature in the thoracic and sacral regions is also termed kyphosis or kyphotic. The term comes from Greek lordos 'bent backward'.

Lordosis in the human spine makes it easier for humans to bring the bulk of their mass over the pelvis. This allows for a much more efficient walking gait than that of other primates, whose inflexible spines cause them to resort to an inefficient forward-leaning "bent-knee, bent-waist" gait. As such, lordosis in the human spine is considered one of the primary physiological adaptations of the human skeleton that allows for human gait to be as energetically efficient as it is.

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Sacrum in the context of Back labor

Back labor (less commonly called posterior labor) is a term referring to sensations of pain or discomfort that occur in the lower back, just above the tailbone, to a mother during childbirth.

Back labor may be noted when the baby is face up in the birth canal (occiput posterior), and not face down, so that the back of the baby's skull (occiput) is pushed against the mother's sacrum. However back labor can also occur when the baby is in a different position. The discomfort is often noted to be intensely painful, and may not completely abate between contractions. Whether back labor will occur cannot be predicted. Reports of how many mothers experience back labor vary, though estimates in the range of 30% are common.

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Sacrum in the context of Pelvis

The pelvis (pl.: pelves or pelvises) is the lower part of an anatomical trunk, between the abdomen and the thighs (sometimes also called pelvic region), together with its embedded skeleton (sometimes also called bony pelvis or pelvic skeleton).

The pelvic region of the trunk includes the bony pelvis, the pelvic cavity (the space enclosed by the bony pelvis), the pelvic floor, below the pelvic cavity, and the perineum, below the pelvic floor. The pelvic skeleton is formed in the area of the back, by the sacrum and the coccyx and anteriorly and to the left and right sides, by a pair of hip bones.

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Sacrum in the context of Axial skeleton

The axial skeleton is the core part of the endoskeleton made of the bones of the head and trunk of vertebrates. In the human skeleton, it consists of 80 bones and is composed of the skull (28 bones, including the cranium, mandible and the middle ear ossicles), the vertebral column (26 bones, including vertebrae, sacrum and coccyx), the rib cage (25 bones, including ribs and sternum), and the hyoid bone. The axial skeleton is joined to the appendicular skeleton (which support the limbs) via the shoulder girdles and the pelvis.

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Sacrum in the context of Coccyx

The coccyx (pl.: coccyges or coccyxes), commonly referred to as the tailbone, is the final segment of the vertebral column in all apes, and analogous structures in certain other mammals such as horses. In tailless primates (e.g. humans and other great apes) since Nacholapithecus (a Miocene hominoid), the coccyx is the remnant of a vestigial tail. In animals with bony tails, it is known as tailhead or dock, in bird anatomy as tailfan. It comprises three to five separate or fused coccygeal vertebrae below the sacrum, attached to the sacrum by a fibrocartilaginous joint, the sacrococcygeal symphysis, which permits limited movement between the sacrum and the coccyx.

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Sacrum in the context of Lumbar

In tetrapod anatomy, lumbar is an adjective that means of or pertaining to the abdominal segment of the torso, between the diaphragm and the sacrum.

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Sacrum in the context of Pelvic brim

The pelvic brim is the edge of the pelvic inlet. It is an approximately butterfly-shaped line passing through the prominence of the sacrum, the arcuate and pectineal lines, and the upper margin of the pubic symphysis.

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