hryggjalið

Hryggjalið is the Icelandic term for a vertebra, the individual bone that forms the spinal column in humans and other vertebrates. Each hryggjalið consists of a vertebral body at the front and a vertebral arch at the back, which encloses the give-and-take space of the spinal canal. From the arch project a spinous process posteriorly and two transverse processes laterally; there are also superior and inferior articular processes that link adjacent hryggliðir. Intervertebral discs sit between neighboring vertebral bodies, providing cushioning and allowing movement.

The spine is divided into regions: cervical, thoracic, lumbar, sacral and coccygeal. The hryggliðir together protect the spinal cord, support the body’s weight, and enable a range of motions such as bending and twisting. Spinal nerves exit the vertebral column through intervertebral foramina formed between adjacent hryggliðir.

In humans, the adult vertebral column typically contains 26 bones: seven cervical hryggliður, twelve thoracic, five lumbar, plus the sacrum and coccyx formed by fused vertebrae. In early life there are more segments (often counted as 33), which later fuse. Common conditions affecting hryggliðir include fractures from trauma, degenerative disc disease, herniation, scoliosis and other alignment or wear-related problems.

This term appears in medical and anatomical contexts in Icelandic-language literature, where it is used to refer to the basic structural units of the spine and to discuss their function, development and pathology.