Transverse Processes

Most vertebrae exhibit pronounced lateral protrusions (or processes), one on each side of the vertebra. These transverse processes serve as the attachment sites for ligaments (intertransverse ligaments) and muscles, which control the bending and twisting of the vertebral column. The base of each transverse process in most vertebrae is just off of the main body of the vertebra, located instead at the pedicle. The pedicle is part of the ring-like structure of a vertebra, which also includes the body and lamina of a vertebra, forming the vertebral foramen which protects the spinal cord.