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Cervical & Lumbar Anatomy Atlas

Compare cervical and lumbar vertebrae, discs and neural relations through five labeled model-derived views.

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Cervical & Lumbar Anatomy Atlas

Lumbar / anterior

Model-derived teaching views — not MRI/CT slices. Select a view and inspect its numbered landmarks.

Lumbar / anterior. Educational render of selected anatomical structures. L1 vertebra, L3 vertebra, L5 vertebra, L4–L5 disc, Sacrum.
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Use paired 2D and 3D views to relate vertebrae, discs and neural tissues. Compare regions before reasoning about movement. The atlas cannot establish a pain generator, muscle activation pattern or individual loading tolerance.

Click on any landmark pin above to inspect structure details.

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Anatomical Landmarks in Lumbar / anterior

StructureDescriptionClinical Relevance
L1 vertebraFirst lumbar vertebra. The body carries compressive load; the pedicles and laminae enclose the vertebral canal. The articular processes form paired facet joints with adjacent vertebrae.Interpret this structure within the complete clinical presentation; the atlas alone does not establish a diagnosis.
L3 vertebraThird lumbar vertebra. The body carries compressive load; the pedicles and laminae enclose the vertebral canal. The articular processes form paired facet joints with adjacent vertebrae.Interpret this structure within the complete clinical presentation; the atlas alone does not establish a diagnosis.
L5 vertebraFifth lumbar vertebra. The body carries compressive load; the pedicles and laminae enclose the vertebral canal. The articular processes form paired facet joints with adjacent vertebrae.Interpret this structure within the complete clinical presentation; the atlas alone does not establish a diagnosis.
L4–L5 discThe intervertebral disc joins adjacent vertebral bodies. Its annulus contains collagen lamellae around a hydrated nucleus; cartilaginous endplates interface with the vertebral bodies. The source surface represents the whole disc.Interpret this structure within the complete clinical presentation; the atlas alone does not establish a diagnosis.
SacrumFive fused sacral vertebrae form the posterior pelvic ring. The superior surface articulates with L5, and the auricular surfaces transmit load to the ilia.Interpret this structure within the complete clinical presentation; the atlas alone does not establish a diagnosis.

How to use this Atlas

  • Use the selector, slider or arrow buttons to select a view.
  • Zoom in and drag to pan. These are 2D images; open the related 3D model for rotation.
  • Label groups control visible pins; they do not remove anatomy from a flattened image.
  • Click on landmark pins to inspect anatomical descriptions and clinical relevance.
  • Keyboard shortcuts: ← and → to step through the atlas, L to toggle labels.
Rights & Attribution

Anatomical meshes: BodyParts3D, © Database Center for Life Science (DBCLS), CC BY-SA 2.1 Japan (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.1/jp/). PhysioLove adapted mesh selection, metric orientation, colors and teaching overlays. Model-derived illustrations share the same license. Added ligament, meniscus and tract geometry is schematic; proportions and pathways are not patient measurements. No independent clinical review recorded.

Sources & further reading

  1. OpenStax. Anatomy and Physiology 2e, 7.3: The vertebral column.
  2. OpenStax. Anatomy and Physiology 2e, 9.6: Anatomy of selected synovial joints.
  3. Panjabi MM. The stabilizing system of the spine. Part I. 1992.
  4. Soar H et al. Lumbar radicular pain. 2022.