Canines and most other mammals have seven lumbar vertebrae. The lumbar vertebrae are longer and more uniform in shape than the thoracic vertebrae. They are also shorter in height and their dorsal spinous processes slope cranially. Lumbar vertebrae also have long, flattened transverse processes that project laterally. In canines these lateral processes slant in a cranio-ventral direction. | Canines and most other mammals have seven lumbar vertebrae. The lumbar vertebrae are longer and more uniform in shape than the thoracic vertebrae. They are also shorter in height and their dorsal spinous processes slope cranially. Lumbar vertebrae also have long, flattened transverse processes that project laterally. In canines these lateral processes slant in a cranio-ventral direction. |