What are the cushions of cartilage between the vertebrae of the spine called?
The cushions between the vertebrae in the column are named for their positions along the verterbral bodies, the intervertebral disks. They have a thick outer ring of cartilage called the Annulus Fibrosus as well as a much softer center called the Nucleus Pulposus. This is not where the nerve tissue passes through, as some would suggest, its purpose is to allow the joins to flex so some degree and to provide cushion for any axial compression that may occur. The only exception is that the first cervical vertebra does not have a body to articulate with the vertrbrta below.
