vertebrae

The nerves near the spinal cord, by the C3 vertebrae, can have an impact on a person's breathing and lung clearing ability.

“She fractured four vertebrae in her spine but she’s strong-willed and she pushed through it,” Tim added.

The dolphins thus don’t need to move their heads as most non-primate mammals must if they want to get a good field of sight — a good thing, because their fused cervical vertebrae make that tricky to do.

The 85-year-old fell off stage in June whilst performing in Player Kings in London’s West End, breaking his wrist and chipping one of his vertebrae.

“My chipped vertebrae and fractured wrist are not yet mended,” McKellen told the magazine.