HealthAugust 16, 2026

vertebrae

VUR-tuh-bree

Definition

The individual segments of bone that form the spinal column.

Etymology

Derived from the Latin word 'vertebra', meaning 'joint' or 'bone of the spine', which itself comes from the verb 'vertere', meaning 'to turn'.

In the news

The article refers to vertebrae when describing the specific bones in Maggio's spine that had been fused or needed repair, such as his lumbar and thoracic vertebrae.

Spine reconstruction restored his life

Read the full article ↗

UCI Health

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