A minimally invasive surgical instrument comprising: an elongate shaft having a working end, a proximal end, and a shaft axis between the working end and the proximal end; an end effector; a wrist member having a proximal portion connected to the working end and a distal portion connected the end effector, wherein the wrist member comprises at least five vertebrae (412 - 416) connected in series between the working end of the elongate shaft and the end effector, the vertebrae including a proximal vertebra connected to the working end of the elongate shaft and a distal vertebra connected to the end effector, each vertebra being pivotable relative to an adjacent vertebra by a vertebral joint pivotable around an associated joint axis, at least one of the vertebrae being pivotable relative to an adjacent vertebra by a pitch joint around a pitch axis which is nonparallel to the shaft axis, at least one of the vertebrae being pivotable relative to an adjacent vertebra by a yaw joint around a yaw axis which is nonparallel to the shaft axis and perpendicular to the pitch axis; wherein the associated joint axes are each perpendicular to a longitudinal centerline of the wrist member, wherein each of the joint axes is perpendicular to at least one adjacent joint axis, and wherein the number of vertebrae is represented by N, N being a positive odd integer equal to or greater than 5, the number of said associated joint axes being N-1, characterized in that it further comprises: a plurality of cables (452, 454) coupled with the vertebrae to move the vertebrae relative to each other, the plurality of cables including at least one distal cable coupled with and terminating at the distal vertebra and extending proximally to a cable actuator member (302, 706), and at least one intermediate cable coupled with and terminating at an intermediate vertebra disposed between the proximal vertebra and the distal vertebra and extending to the cable actuator member (302, 706); wherein at least two adjacent joint axes are parallel to one another. an elongate shaft having a working end, a proximal end, and a shaft axis between the working end and the proximal end; an end effector; a wrist member having a proximal portion connected to the working end and a distal portion connected the end effector, wherein the wrist member comprises at least five vertebrae (412 - 416) connected in series between the working end of the elongate shaft and the end effector, the vertebrae including a proximal vertebra connected to the working end of the elongate shaft and a distal vertebra connected to the end effector, each vertebra being pivotable relative to an adjacent vertebra by a vertebral joint pivotable around an associated joint axis, at least one of the vertebrae being pivotable relative to an adjacent vertebra by a pitch joint around a pitch axis which is nonparallel to the shaft axis, at least one of the vertebrae being pivotable relative to an adjacent vertebra by a yaw joint around a yaw axis which is nonparallel to the shaft axis and perpendicular to the pitch axis; wherein the associated joint axes are each perpendicular to a longitudinal centerline of the wrist member, wherein each of the joint axes is perpendicular to at least one adjacent joint axis, and wherein the number of vertebrae is represented by N, N being a positive odd integer equal to or greater than 5, the number of said associated joint axes being N-1, characterized in that it further comprises: a plurality of cables (452, 454) coupled with the vertebrae to move the vertebrae relative to each other, the plurality of cables including at least one distal cable coupled with and terminating at the distal vertebra and extending proximally to a cable actuator member (302, 706), and at least one intermediate cable coupled with and terminating at an intermediate vertebra disposed between the proximal vertebra and the distal vertebra and extending to the cable actuator member (302, 706); wherein at least two adjacent joint axes are parallel to one another. a plurality of cables (452, 454) coupled with the vertebrae to move the vertebrae relative to each other, the plurality of cables including at least one distal cable coupled with and terminating at the distal vertebra and extending proximally to a cable actuator member (302, 706), and at least one intermediate cable coupled with and terminating at an intermediate vertebra disposed between the proximal vertebra and the distal vertebra and extending to the cable actuator member (302, 706); wherein at least two adjacent joint axes are parallel to one another.