intervertebral disk

noun

Anatomy.

1. the plate of fibrocartilage between the bodies of adjacent vertebrae.

intervertebral disk

1. A broad disk of cartilage that separates adjacent vertebrae of the spine and acts as a shock absorber during movement.

Word History and Origins

Origin of intervertebral disk¹

First recorded in 1855–60

Example Sentences

In his article on Amazon, Duhigg quotes Safiyo Mohamed, who, while still in her twenties, tore an intervertebral disk in her back working as a sorter at a Minnesota fulfillment center.

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One day, when she picked up a heavy box, she tore an intervertebral disk in her back.

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Many instances of back pain are caused by damage or degeneration of the intervertebral disks—the squishy little hockey pucks that sit between vertebrae, helping our spinal columns move and absorb shocks.

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A similar metamorphosis is of frequent occurrence in the intervertebral disks and in the destruction of cartilage in acute and chronic inflammations of the joints.

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There are 23 jellylike intervertebral disks that act as shock absorbers between the spinal vertebrae, Dr. Härtl said.

Read more on New York Times