Tailbone (coccyx)

The tailbone (coccyx) is the small bone at the lower tip of the spine. The most common cause of injury to the tailbone is a backward fall onto a hard surface, such as a slippery floor or ice.

Review Date:1/29/2022
Reviewed By:Linda J. Vorvick, MD, Clinical Associate Professor, Department of Family Medicine, UW Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.

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