zygopophysis

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noun

One of the articular processes of the neural arch of a vertebra

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Meanings

nounzygopophysis (plural zygopophyses)

plural zygopophyses

  1. anatomyOne of the articular processes of the neural arch of a vertebra

    However, without the intervertebral disc, the shear stress between L5 and S1 can cause accelerated degradation of the zygopophysis, leading to back pain.

    2015 May 10, Jian-Hua Li et al., “Surgical treatment of lumbosacral tuberculosis by one-stage debridement and anterior instrumentation with allograft through an extraperitoneal anterior approach”, in Journal of Orthopaedic Surgery and Research, volume 10, →DOI

Origin

From zygo- + apophysis.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

zygopophysis. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/zygopophysis

MLA

“zygopophysis.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/zygopophysis. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “zygopophysis,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/zygopophysis.

Source: zygopophysis on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.