The spinal column consists of 33 vertebrae, which form pairs of precursor structures called somites. Somites give rise to not only our vertebrae, but also our ribs and skeletal muscles.

Operating before birth can minimize nerve damage caused by severe defects in tissue around the spinal column. Lexi and Joshuwa Royer play with their 17-month-old son, Charley, at their home in ...

— V.D. Dear V.D.: Spinal stenosis is when a major nerve structure, a nerve root or the spinal cord itself, is compressed by hard structures around the spinal column, such as the bones and ligaments.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Melissa Childers remembers vividly the day that changed her life forever. "Went to bed on Jan. 3, 2021, and when I woke up the next morning at six o'clock to get ready for ...