Sacrum

Sacrum
Bone: Sacrum
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Sacrum, pelvic surface
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Image of pelvis. Sacrum is in center.
Latin os sacrum
Gray's subject #24 106
MeSH Sacrum

In vertebrate anatomy the sacrum (plural: sacrums or sacra) is a large, triangular bone at the base of the spine and at the upper and back part of the pelvic cavity, where it is inserted like a wedge between the two hip bones. Its upper part connects with the last lumbar vertebra, and bottom part with the coccyx (tailbone). It consists of usually five initially unfused vertebrae which begin to fuse between ages 16–18 and are usually completely fused into a single bone by age 26.

It is curved upon itself and placed obliquely (that is, tilted forward). It is kyphotic — that is, concave facing forwards. The base projects forward as the sacral promontory internally, and articulates with the last lumbar vertebra to form the prominent sacrovertebral angle. The central part is curved outward towards the posterior, allowing greater room for the pelvic cavity.

Contents

Etymology

The name is derived from the Latin (os) sacrum, (sacer, sacra, sacrum, "sacred"), a translation of the Greek hieron (osteon), meaning sacred or strong bone.[1] Since the sacrum is the seat of the organs of procreation, animal sacrums were offered in sacrifices. In Slavic languages and in German this bone is called the "cross bone".[2]

Parts

  • The pelvic surface of the sacrum is concave from above downward, and slightly so from side to side.
  • The dorsal surface of the sacrum is convex and narrower than the pelvic.
  • The lateral surface of the sacrum is broad above, but narrowed into a thin edge below.
  • The base of the sacrum, which is broad and expanded, is directed upward and forward.
  • The apex (apex oss. sacri) is directed downward, and presents an oval facet for articulation with the coccyx.
  • The vertebral canal (canalis sacralis; sacral canal) runs throughout the greater part of the bone; above, it is triangular in form; below, its posterior wall is incomplete, from the non-development of the laminae and spinous processes. It lodges the sacral nerves, and its walls are perforated by the anterior and posterior sacral foramina through which these nerves pass out.
Anterior surface of sacrum

Articulations

The sacrum articulates with four bones:

Rotation of the sacrum forward a few degrees vis-à-vis the ilia is sometimes called "nutation" (L. "nodding"), and the reverse motion "counter-nutation."[3]

It is called the sacrum when referred to all of the parts combined, but sacral vertebrae when referred individually.

Posterior surface of sacrum

Sexual dimorphism

The sacrum is noticeably sexually dimorphic (differently-shaped in males and females).

In the female the sacrum is shorter and wider than in the male; the lower half forms a greater angle with the upper; the upper half is nearly straight, the lower half presenting the greatest amount of curvature. The bone is also directed more obliquely backward; this increases the size of the pelvic cavity and renders the sacrovertebral angle more prominent.

In the male the curvature is more evenly distributed over the whole length of the bone, and is altogether more massive than in the female.

Variations

In some cases the sacrum will consist of six pieces [1] or be reduced in number to four [2]. The bodies of the first and second vertebrae may fail to unite.

Sometimes the uppermost transverse tubercles are not joined to the rest of the ala on one or both sides, or the sacral canal may be open throughout a considerable part of its length, in consequence of the imperfect development of the laminae and spinous processes.

The sacrum also varies considerably with respect to its degree of curvature.

Additional images

See also

References

External links


This article was originally based on an entry from a public domain edition of Gray's Anatomy. As such, some of the information contained within it may be outdated.


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Look at other dictionaries:

  • sacrum — [ sakrɔm ] n. m. • 1793; os sacrum av. 1478 « os sacré », parce qu il était offert aux dieux dans les sacrifices d animaux ♦ Anat. Os formé par la réunion des cinq vertèbres sacrées, à la partie inférieure de la colonne vertébrale, articulé avec… …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • Sacrum — Sacrum. Vue antérieure. Sacrum. Vue postérieure. Le sacrum est un os …   Wikipédia en Français

  • sacrum — SÁCRUM s.n. Os triunghiular (format din cinci vertebre sudate) aşezat în partea de jos a coloanei vertebrale şi care, împreună cu oasele pelviene, formează bazinul. [var.: sácru s.n.] – Din fr., lat. sacrum. Trimis de ana zecheru, 07.05.2003.… …   Dicționar Român

  • sacrum — bone at the base of the spine, 1753, from L.L. os sacrum sacred bone, from L. os bone + sacrum, neuter of sacer sacred (see SACRED (Cf. sacred)). Said to be so called because the bone was the part of animals that was offered in sacrifices.… …   Etymology dictionary

  • Sacrum — Sa crum, n.; pl. {sacra}. [NL., fr. L. sacer sacred, os sacrum the lowest bone of the spine.] (Anat.) That part of the vertebral column which is directly connected with, or forms a part of, the pelvis. [1913 Webster] Note: It may consist of a… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Sacrum — (Os sacrum), das Kreuzbein (s. d. und Wirbelsäule) …   Meyers Großes Konversations-Lexikon

  • sacrum — sacrum; syn·sacrum; …   English syllables

  • sacrum — {{/stl 13}}{{stl 7}}[wym. sakrum] {{/stl 7}}{{stl 8}}rz. n ndm, blm {{/stl 8}}{{stl 7}} sfera rzeczy, zjawisk, spraw świętych przeciwstawiona sferze profanum (obejmującej rzeczy, zjawiska, sprawy świeckie) : {{/stl 7}}{{stl 10}}Zaliczać jakieś… …   Langenscheidt Polski wyjaśnień

  • sacrum — ► NOUN (pl. sacra or sacrums) Anatomy ▪ a triangular bone in the lower back formed from fused vertebrae and situated between the two hip bones of the pelvis. ORIGIN from Latin os sacrum sacred bone (from the belief that the soul resides in it) …   English terms dictionary

  • sacrum — [sā′krəm, sak′rəm] n. pl. sacra [sā′krə, sā′rə] or sacrums [ModL < LL (os) sacrum, lit., sacred (bone), transl. of Gr hieron osteon < hieron, sacred, ? last (< hieros: see HIERO ) + osteon: see OSSIFY] a thick, triangular bone situated… …   English World dictionary

  • Sacrum os — (Anat.), das Kreuzbein …   Pierer's Universal-Lexikon

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