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The discs have a tough outer covering of cartilage that provides support (the annulus fibrosus) and a soft, jellylike center that provides the cushioning (the nucleus pulposus). The intervertebral discs have the following functions: They provide cushioning for the vertebrae and reduce the stress caused by impact. By keeping the vertebrae separated from each other, they act as a type of shock absorber for the spine.
The intervertebral discs (or discs) are fibrocartilages lying between adjacent surfaces of the vertebrae. They form a fibrocartilaginous joint between the vertebral bodies, linking them together. The disc makes up one third to one fourth of the spinal columnâs length, forming an interpose between every two vertebrae except between the atlas (C1) and axis (C2) and coccyx.