Skeletal System (Back View)

The Coccyx

The coccyx (or tail) is the lowest part of the vertebral column and is attached by ligaments to the margins of the sacral hiatus. When a person is sitting, pressure is exerted on the coccyx, and it moves forward, acting sort of like a shock absorber. Sitting down with too great a force may cause the coccyx to be fractured or dislocated.