Tue, 05 May 2026 13:25:07 +0000

Posterior vs Anterior: The Hidden Truth Your Doctor Never Mentioned When it comes to spinal health, posture, and injury recovery, understanding the distinction between anterior and posterior anatomical concepts might seem minor — until you discover how vital this knowledge truly is. Despite oversimplified explanations commonly shared in general medical education, few doctors ever dive deep into the complex differences between the posterior and anterior sides of the spine — a gap that reveals critical insights affecting diagnosis, treatment, and recovery. ### What Do “Anterior” and “Posterior” Mean? To clarify:
- Posterior refers to the back side of the body or structure — in spinal anatomy, this means structures oriented toward the spine’s posterior elements, such as the lamina, facets, sympathetic chain, or sacroiliac joint on the rear side.
- Anterior refers to the front side, encompassing muscles, intervertebral discs near the front, fibrous annulus fibers, and the front load-bearing components like the anterior longitudinal ligament.