KnotesFree Orthopaedic & FRCS notes, viva stations and higher order SBAs

Number of vertebrae and spinal nerves

High YieldSpinethinKbox SBA

Vertebrae

  • 7 cervical
  • 12 thoracic
  • 5 lumbar
  • 5 sacral (fused)
  • 4 coccygeal (variable, fused)

Spinal nerves

There are 31 pairs of spinal nerves:

  • 8 cervical
  • 12 thoracic
  • 5 lumbar
  • 5 sacral
  • 1 coccygeal

Important cervical point

There are 8 cervical nerves but only 7 cervical vertebrae. C1 nerve exits above C1 vertebra; C8 exits between C7 and T1.

Diagram

Number of vertebrae and spinal nerves

Written/reviewed by Kishore Puthezhath

Professor of Orthopaedics and Consultant Paediatric Orthopaedic Surgeon

FRCS (Tr & Orth) revision resource

Reviewed: September 2026