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This study surface anatomy of the articular facets for the entire human vertebral cbJumn based on a study of 276 vertebrae. M eerie and standard errors trf the msansfor 11 n ea r, a n gu la r, a n d area dimensions of the su perio r e nd inferior flrticular faeels wflna measured for fill vortcbrae from CZ to 1.6, Facet Orients!l*n$ wena descrfhedas angieiwlLli respect (otfie sagittal and transverse planes and also a card angles. The piano angles aresimilar tea the angles seen on traditional radiograph re vl aws-rodlograp h s and comp u:ed torn og ra ph io scans. The card angles, a new concept, are better at helping vlsuafiwthe facets. Exclu ding th B superior Cl facet, the mi niriL rn an d max.1 m um d irnen sfons were fou nd fo r the facets from C3tp L3: width = 9.6-16.3 mm; height = 10.2-18,4; surface area =72.3-211.9 mm 2 ; interface! width = 20.fl-M.fl; intcrfacot height -12.2-33.0 mm; transverse planeangle = 41.0-W.fl; sagltiel plane angle -67.4-154.8; X-card angle = 4i.0-B6.D;and V^ard angle = 5.B-6B.1. The quantitative anatomy of the fscats may improve the undarsiandinQ of the spinal anatomy, halp Fmprovetha clinical diagnosis and trestir.-rv, n-ri provide the nacossary data for constructing more nealietic mathHrnatical mode Is of the spine, [Kay wa-ds; spfne, vertebres, anstamy, vprtehral articular facets, zygapaptiyseal joints]The shapes and sizes of human vertebrae are often artist's drawings based on visual inspection of cadavers, 15 ' 16 with no quantitative geometric information provided. The quantification of vertebral articular facets into a geometric database has several applications. The orientation of the articular facets was hypothesized to be a cause of rotational coupling in the lumbar spine. 9 The role of the articular facets in intervertebral joint kinematics has been studied fre-

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