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| sacrum | |
|---|---|
| Name | Sacrum |
| Latin | Os sacrum |
| Caption | Anterior and posterior views of the sacrum |
| Partof | Pelvic girdle |
| Articulations | Ilium, Coccyx, L5 |
sacrum The sacrum is a large, triangular bone at the base of the spine that articulates with the pelvis and supports axial weight transfer. It forms the posterior wall of the pelvic cavity and connects the vertebral column to the ilium via the sacroiliac joints, contributing to bipedal posture and locomotion. The sacrum interacts with structures studied in fields associated with Andreas Vesalius, Henry Gray, Guillaume Dupuytren, Jean-Martin Charcot and institutions such as Guy's Hospital, Johns Hopkins Hospital, Mayo Clinic, and Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin.
The sacrum consists of five fused sacral vertebrae that present distinct anterior and posterior surfaces bearing foramina for sacral nerves and branches of the internal iliac artery and superior gluteal artery. Superiorly it articulates with the fifth lumbar vertebra at the lumbosacral joint and inferiorly with the coccyx; laterally it forms the sacroiliac joints with the ilia, transmitting forces between the thoracic cage-aligned spine and the pelvic girdle during actions described in studies at University of Oxford and Harvard Medical School. Prominent landmarks include the sacral promontory, median sacral crest, auricular surface, and sacral canal, which are referenced in atlases by Netter and texts by Frank H. Netter and Sobotta.
Embryologically the sacral vertebrae derive from paraxial mesoderm and sclerotome somites influenced by signaling pathways studied at Max Planck Society, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, and by researchers such as Christiane Nüsslein-Volhard and Eric Wieschaus. Ossification centers typically appear in utero and complete fusion occurs during adolescence to early adulthood; the timing is documented in longitudinal cohorts at National Institutes of Health and pediatric series from Great Ormond Street Hospital. Variations in fusion timing relate to genetic factors investigated in cohorts at Broad Institute and population studies by World Health Organization collaborators.
The sacrum functions as a keystone distributing compressive loads from the vertebral column to the hip bone during upright posture, activities analyzed in biomechanics labs at Stanford University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Imperial College London. It forms part of the pelvic ring that stabilizes pelvic organs referenced in surgical series from Cleveland Clinic and supports attachment for ligaments such as the sacrospinous and sacrotuberous ligaments, concepts elaborated by anatomists affiliated with University College London and Karolinska Institutet. Sacral morphology influences gait parameters explored by labs at KTH Royal Institute of Technology and ETH Zurich.
Sacral fractures, sacroiliitis, and tumor involvement are managed in centers like Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital, and present in conditions described by clinicians from World Health Organization case reports and registries at Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Sacral nerve impingement can produce cauda equina–like syndromes that are evaluated in neurosurgical services at Cleveland Clinic and Mayo Clinic. Infectious processes like tuberculous spondylitis documented by World Health Organization and congenital anomalies reported in pediatric series at Great Ormond Street Hospital affect sacral function. Screening and outcome measures are used in trials registered with National Institutes of Health and reported in journals affiliated with The Lancet and New England Journal of Medicine.
Human sacral shape shows sexual dimorphism and population differences cataloged in anthropological collections at the British Museum, Smithsonian Institution, and universities including University of Cambridge and University of Bologna. Comparative studies contrast the human sacrum with that of non-human primates in research by Jane Goodall-associated teams, and with fossil hominins from sites studied by Louis Leakey, Donald Johanson, and Richard Leakey to infer bipedal evolution. Veterinary and zoological comparisons appear in works from Royal Society publications and museums such as the American Museum of Natural History.
Sacral anatomy is critical in procedures like sacroiliac joint fusion, sacral tumor resections, and spinal instrumentation developed in centers including Mayo Clinic, Johns Hopkins Hospital, and Hospital for Special Surgery. Imaging modalities—plain radiography, computed tomography, and magnetic resonance imaging—are interpreted using protocols from Radiological Society of North America and studies led by radiologists affiliated with Massachusetts General Hospital and UCLA Medical Center. Fluoroscopy-guided interventions and nerve stimulation techniques are used in interventional suites at Cleveland Clinic and University of Pennsylvania Health System.
Ancient anatomists in Greece and scholars such as Galen and Hippocrates described the sacral region; Renaissance advances by Andreas Vesalius refined its depiction. The English term derives from Latin sacrum (os sacrum), historically linked to ritual importance in Roman Empire sources and medieval commentaries preserved in collections at the Vatican Library and Bibliothèque nationale de France. Evolving nomenclature was codified in anatomical atlases disseminated by publishers associated with Elsevier and societies like the International Federation of Associations of Anatomists.
Category:Human bones