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roughly divided in half between a column of vertebral bodies and a column of arches.Functionally, this arrangement very clearly evolved to contend with the dual requirements of stability and plasticity. The anterior column of vertebral bodies deals with weight-bearing, compressive forces, whereas the posterior column of arches deals with the tensile forces generated by movement. Within each column, in the dynamic relationship of bone to soft tissue, there is a balance of sthira and sukha. The vertebral bodies transmit compressive forces to the discs, which resist compression by pushing back. The column of arches transmits tension forces to all the Figure 2.7 Viewed from the side, attached ligaments (figure 2.8), which resist stretching the spine divided into an anterior by pulling back. In short, the structural elements column of vertebral bodies and of the spinal column are involved in an intricate dance discs, and a posterior column of arches and processes. that protects the central nervous system by neutralizing the forces of tension and compression. Discs and Ligaments If you look deeper, you can also see how sthira and sukha are revealed in the components of an intervertebral disc: The tough, fibrous layers
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