I have received several requests for spine STL files from CT scans and these files have been added to the file vault over time as more people are 3D printing vertebrae for medical moldeling. There was a really good response to my last article about the wonderful 3D printable skull models available for free download on the embodi3D.com website. So, I've decided to do another article about spine models.

Embodi3D.com contains a large collection of spine STL files within the Spine and Pelvis category of the Downloads area. These 3D printable files are available for download by registering an account. The vast majority of files are available for free download.

The spine is a very complicated anatomic structure. Some spinal bones, or vertebrae, are designed for flexibility, as in the cervical spine in the neck. Others are designed to support ribs, as in the thoracic spine in the chest. The lumbar spine, in the low back, has large, hearty vertebra that are designed to bear weight. The spine is the focus of many maladies, and a good anatomic understanding of the spine is needed before disease processes and their treatments can be fully understood.

I personally do many procedures on the spine. A few include lumbar punctures, epidural steroid injections, selective nerve root blocks, vertebroplasty, kyphoplasty, myelograms, lumbar drain placements, chemotherapy infusions, and biopsies of all kinds. Anatomy can be learned with books or pictures, but there is nothing quite like holding a 3D printed medical model in your hands to make that anatomy "click." 3D printed spine models can help teach spinal anatomy to all levels of students, from grade school to med school. To help others find the best medical models, I have put together a collection of the best 3D printable spine models available for free download on Embodi3D. I hope you find this collection useful and interesting.

Lumbar Spine STL Files from CT Scans

Whole lumbar spine and sacrum

L3 Lumbar vertebra

Another L3 Lumbar vertebra

L4 Lumbar vertebra

Lumbar spine wedge compression fracture

Thoracic Spine STL Files For 3D Printing

Whole thoracic spine

Cervical Spine STL Files For Medical Models

Whole cervical spine

Whole cervical spine with skull base

C1 (atlas) vertebra