Changes

==Sacral Vertebrae==

==Sacral Vertebrae==

[[File:Dog pelvis.JPG|thumb|right|250px|'''Dog pelvis''', Kirill Tsukanov, Moscow State University, 14/04/12]]

[[File:Dog pelvis.JPG|thumb|left|250px|'''Dog pelvis''', Kirill Tsukanov, Moscow State University, 14/04/12]]

Sacral vertebrae are found caudal to the lumbar vertebrae and the dog has three fused vertebrae. The '''sacrum''' is a single bone formed by the fusion of several vertebrae that articulates with the pelvic girdle. It allows the locomotive force generated by the hindlimbs to be transmitted to the trunk of the dog. The sacrum narrows caudally and is curved to present a concave surface to the pelvic cavity. A key difference of the canine caudal sacrum compared to other species is that the small spinous processes are retained rather than in other species such as pigs where they are abscent. The joint between the sacrum and the pelvis is usually made up of one or two sacral vertebrae.

Sacral vertebrae are found caudal to the lumbar vertebrae and the dog has three fused vertebrae. The '''sacrum''' is a single bone formed by the fusion of several vertebrae that articulates with the pelvic girdle. It allows the locomotive force generated by the hindlimbs to be transmitted to the trunk of the dog. The sacrum narrows caudally and is curved to present a concave surface to the pelvic cavity. A key difference of the canine caudal sacrum compared to other species is that the small spinous processes are retained rather than in other species such as pigs where they are abscent. There is a variable degree of sacral joint fusion between species but in the canine the three vertebrae are usually fully fused to form a quadrilateral block. The articular joint between the sacrum and the pelvis is usually made up of one or two sacral vertebrae in the canine.

==Caudal Vertebrae==

==Caudal Vertebrae==