| Joint or ligament | Description | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| anterior longitudinal ligament | a ligament that courses from superior to inferior along the anterior surfaces of all vertebral bodies | it lies directly posterior to the thoracic and abdominal viscera |
| interspinous ligament | a ligament that connects the spinous processes of two adjacent vertebra | a syndesmosis |
| intervertebral disc | a fibrocartilaginous disk between adjacent vertebral bodies | a symphysis; it is composed of two parts: an outer anulus fibrosus and an inner nucleus pulposus; the nucleus pulposus is the remnant of the notochord; the intervertebral disks are important shock absorbers between vertebrae |
| ligamenta flava | a ligament formed predominantly by elastic fibers which joins the laminae of adjacent vertebrae | a syndesmosis; paired; the ligamentum flavum is penetrated by the needle during spinal tap; the word flavum is derived from the Latin word flavus, which means "yellow" - a reference to the predominance of yellow elastic fibers which gives this ligament its grossly visible color |
| nuchal ligament | a midline ligament that extends posteriorly from the spinous processes of cervical vertebrae and extends from the base of the skull to the 7th cervical vertebra | a syndesmosis; it provides muscle attachments to the cervical spinous processes without the necessity of long spinous processes that would hinder extension of the neck |
| posterior longitudinal ligament | a ligament that courses from superior to inferior along the posterior surfaces of all vertebral bodies | it is broader at the intervertebral disks and narrow at the vertebral bodies which gives it a scalloped edge; it is located in the vertebral canal; it is NOT penetrated by the needle during spinal tap |
| supraspinous ligament | a ligament that connects the tips of the spinous processes of thoracic and lumbar vertebrae | a syndesmosis; the supraspinous ligament begins at the C7 vertebra and ends at the mid-sacral segmental level; it serves as a muscle attachment site |
| zygapophyseal joint | a small joint between the articular processes of adjacent vertebrae | a synovial plane joint |