Anatomy of the Lumbar Spine - Medical Illustration, Human Anatomy Drawing
This exhibit features three separate views of the lumbar spine, one anterior, one posterior and one lateral view, providing an overall orientation to the complexity of the anatomy of the spine and adjacent structures. The anterior view clearly shows the complex retroperitoneal anatomy including the aorta, vena cava, iliac vessels, mesenteric vessels, ureters and complex network of nerves including the abdominal aortic plexus and the superior hypogastric plexus. The posterior view shows the posterior vertebral anatomy partially transparent to reveal the spinal cord, cauda equina, nerve roots and spinal vasculature within the spinal canal. The lateral view again shows much of the anatomy listed above, but also shows the complex network of nerves (lumbar plexus) formed by the various lumbar nerve roots.