Skeletal System
Spinous Process of Third Lumbar Vertebra
Processus spinosus vertebrae lumbalis tertiae
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The spinous process is the single, posteriorly projecting process located at the posterior part of the vertebral arch of a lumbar vertebra. It extends from the junction between the two laminae, which itself is found at the midline.
Overall, the spinous processes of lumbar vertebrae are generally short, thick, and blunt. They are more horizontally oriented than other vertebrae and provide attachment sites for intrinsic back muscles, thoracolumbar fascia, and the supraspinous and interspinous ligaments.
