InterestingFacts: About 10% of Adults have an Extra Vertebra in Their Spine

 



About 10% of adults have an extra vertebra in their spine.

The adult human body contains 206 bones, but that’s just a rough estimate. Biology doesn’t always follow the rules when humans — and other animals — grow from a clump of cells to full-fledged creatures. Even in generally healthy humans, this growing process can create a series of extra, or “supernumerary,” features. This can mean an extra rib, additional teeth, and yes, even an additional vertebra. This last one is particularly notable considering how central the spine is to a healthy, well-functioning body. According to scientists, about 10% of the population has an extra lumbar vertebra (known as L6).

Lumbar vertebrae, the largest bones in the spinal column, protect the spinal cord — filled with tissues, cells, and nerves — while supporting the body’s weight and allowing for a wide range of motions. One might think that adding a sixth vertebra to the mix would mess with this delicate biological balancing act, but it turns out that our bodies are smarter than that. According to experts, the L6 vertebra has little to no impact on a person’s health — in fact, most people don’t even know they have one. Sometimes, an extra lumbar vertebra will fuse with the wrong bone, but an arguably greater concern is a doctor or surgeon identifying this extra L6 vertebra as the L5 vertebra, which can lead to medical mistakes known as “wrong-level” surgeries. So while it’s best to know if you’re the rare 1-in-10 case, it’s much more likely than not that your extra spinal bone won’t impact your life at all. 


Note:  The above comes directly from their website. 


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