What is the scientific name for sacrum?

What is the scientific name for sacrum?

The Latin word is found in the alternative Latin name of the sacrum, ossa clunium, as it were “bones of the buttocks”. Due to the fact that the os sacrum is broad and thick at its upper end, the sacrum is alternatively called os latum, “broad bone”.

What word part means sacrum?

sacro
Examples of sacro- As we’ve seen, sacro- refers to the sacrum. The second part of the word, -coccygeal is from the adjective form of coccyx.

What is another name for tailbone?

The coccyx is a triangular arrangement of bone that makes up the very bottom portion of the spine below the sacrum. It represents a vestigial tail, hence the common term tailbone.

What is the sacrum?

The sacrum is a shield-shaped bony structure that is located at the base of the lumbar vertebrae and that is connected to the pelvis. The sacrum forms the posterior pelvic wall and strengthens and stabilizes the pelvis. The coccyx provides slight support for the pelvic organs but actually is a bone of little use.

Why is the sacrum so called?

The os sacrum was so named by the Romans as a direct translation from the older Greek hieron osteon, which translates to “sacred” or “holy.” It was used in sacrificial rites and in protecting the genitalia (which in ancient times were considered sacred).

Why do they call it sacrum?

The os sacrum (sacred bone) was so named by the Romans as a direct translation from the older Greek hieron osteon.

Why is it called the sacrum?

The word “sacrum”, meaning “sacred” in Latin, lives on in English anatomy as the name for the large heavy bone at the base of the spine. The Romans called the bone the “os sacrum,” which literally meant the “holy bone” and the Greeks termed it the “hieron osteon,” the same thing, the “holy bone”.

What is sacral in medical terms?

Medical Definition of sacral (Entry 1 of 2) : of, relating to, or lying near the sacrum the sacral region of the spinal cord. sacral.

What does coccyx mean in Latin?

cuckoo
Latin coccyx, from Ancient Greek κόκκυξ (kókkux, “cuckoo”), referring to the curved shape of a cuckoo’s beak when viewed from the side.

What’s the plural of coccyx?

noun. coc·​cyx | \ ˈkäk-siks \ plural coccyges\ ˈkäk-​sə-​ˌjēz \ also coccyxes\ ˈkäk-​sik-​səz \

What is the top of the sacrum called?

It looks like an inverted triangle: the widest part (base) is at the top, and the pointy end (apex) is at the bottom. The sides of the sacrum connect to the right and left hip (iliac) bones. The apex is connected to the tailbone (coccyx). The base is connected to the largest and lowest of the lumbar vertebrae, L5.

What does sacrum mean in medical terminology?

The sacrum is at the bottom of the spine and lies between the fifth lumbar segment and the coccyx (tailbone). The sacrum is a triangular-shaped bone and consists of five segments (S1 – S5) that are fused together.

What is the function of the sacrum in the body?

View All. Table of Contents. Anatomy. Function. Associated Conditions. The sacrum is a single bone comprised of five separate vertebrae that fuse during adulthood. It forms the foundation of the lower back and the pelvis. The sacrum is a concave sphenoid bone that sits at the bottom of the spinal column.

How many sacral vertebrae does the sacrum have?

The most common anatomical variation of the sacrum applies to the number of sacral vertebrae. While the most common is five, anomalies documented in humans have included having four or six sacral vertebrae. 4  Other variations are related to the sacrum’s surface and curvature.

What is the apex of the sacrum connected to?

The apex of the sacrum is connected to the tailbone (coccyx). The sacrum is at the level of the lower back, just above the intergluteal cleft (more commonly known as the crack of the butt). The cleft starts at about the level of the tailbone or coccyx. The sacrum is curved forward (concaved) and ends (terminates) at the coccyx.

What are the transverse ridges of the sacrum?

There are small ridges that develop between each of the fused sacral vertebrae called transverse ridges or transverse lines. Along the dorsal midline of the sacrum is the median sacral crest, a ridge formed from the spinous processes of the sacral vertebrae.