There are 5 lumbar vertebrae
The lumbar vertebrae are the 5 vertebrae of the lower back, below the thoracic spine and above the sacrum, numbered L1 to L5 from the top. They have the largest, thickest bodies of all the movable vertebrae and carry the weight of the upper body. L5 joins the sacrum below.
Frequently asked questions
Do ribs attach to the lumbar vertebrae?
No. Ribs join only the 12 thoracic vertebrae; the side projections of the lumbar vertebrae are attachment points for muscles.
Can someone have six lumbar vertebrae?
Yes. In some people the first sacral vertebra stays separate, so there seem to be six lumbar vertebrae; in others L5 is fused to the sacrum, so there seem to be four.
How many discs are in the lumbar spine?
Five, from between T12 and L1 down to between L5 and the sacrum.
The bones counted
- First lumbar vertebra (L1)
- Second lumbar vertebra (L2)
- Third lumbar vertebra (L3)
- Fourth lumbar vertebra (L4)
- Fifth lumbar vertebra (L5)
Related counts
Other bone counts
- Bones in the human body
- Axial and appendicular skeleton
- Bones of the skull
- Cervical vertebrae
- Number of ribs
- Bones of the arm
- Bones of the hand
- Carpal bones
- Bones of the leg
- Bones of the foot
- Tarsal bones
- Phalanges of the fingers and toes
Skeleton
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- What getting up from a chair says about how your body is ageing
- Why ageing bone marrow turns to fat, and a PEMF study in mice
- PEMF and whole-body vibration: two rhythms that reach the body
- Myokines: the signals working muscle sends to the body
- Ageing parents: the changes families notice first
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