Skip to content
EasyAnatomyLab
Menu

Intervertebral disk of fifth lumbar vertebra: anatomy, location and function

The intervertebral disc between L5 and S1 (the L5–S1 disc), a fibrocartilage pad with a gel-like nucleus pulposus inside a ring-like anulus fibrosus. Absorbs compressive loads, acts as a shock absorber and allows slight movement between vertebrae.

Loading 3D model…
Skin0%
Muscles100%

Structures

Loading… Click the model or search.

Highlighted in the model: Intervertebral disk of fifth lumbar vertebra. Click any part to read about it, or switch off “Highlight topic” to see the whole body. 3D data: BodyParts3D, © The Database Center for Life Science, CC BY 4.0; meshes simplified and recoloured. The model is an adult male.

Intervertebral disk of fifth lumbar vertebra at a glance

What it is
The intervertebral disc between L5 and S1 (the L5–S1 disc), a fibrocartilage pad with a gel-like nucleus pulposus inside a ring-like anulus fibrosus.
Location
Between the bodies of L5 and S1 (sacrum), the disc directly below the named vertebra (the L5/S1 disc).
Function
Absorbs compressive loads, acts as a shock absorber and allows slight movement between vertebrae.
Body system
Skeletal · single, midline structure
FMA ID
FMA16037 (Foundational Model of Anatomy)

Key facts

  • It is the most wedge-shaped disc, much taller in front, and forms the lumbosacral angle between the lumbar spine and the sacrum.
  • Lumbar discs are the thickest in the column and, like the cervical discs, are taller anteriorly, producing the lumbar lordosis.

Clinical relevance

A posterolateral herniation usually compresses the S1 root: reduced ankle reflex, weak plantarflexion and numbness of the lateral foot and sole. It is one of the two most common levels for lumbar herniation.

Structures next to the intervertebral disk of fifth lumbar vertebra

The nearest named structures in the 3D model, measured from the centre of each part:

References

  1. Foundational Model of Anatomy: Intervertebral disk of fifth lumbar vertebra (FMA16037). EMBL-EBI Ontology Lookup Service.
  2. OpenStax. Anatomy and Physiology 2e, §7.1 Divisions of the Skeletal System. Rice University, 2022.
  3. Mitsuhashi N. et al. (2009). BodyParts3D: 3D structure database for anatomical concepts. Nucleic Acids Research 37, D782–D785. Data © The Database Center for Life Science, CC BY 4.0.

Related anatomy

Explore the whole body in the interactive 3D human anatomy model, or browse the A–Z list of human structures.