The neural arch is the bony structure that arises from the back of the vertebral body and encloses the spinal cord. The vertebral arch is comprised of two pedicles, the short stout processes that extend from the sides of the vertebral body and two laminae, the broad flat plates that project from the pedicles and join in a triangle to form a hollow archway (the foramen).

The structures of the vertebral arch protect the spinal nerves that run through the spinal canal.