3.1 Vertebral Column Flashcards
Has an important role in posture, in support of body weight, in locomotion, and in protecting the spinal cord and nerve roots
Vertebral column (spine)
Curvatures and the intervertebral discs provide
Shock absorbing resilience for the body
Exaggerated concave anteriorly of the vertebral column
Kyphosis
Where are the anterior concaves in the vertebral column
Thoracic and sacral vertebrae
Exaggerated concave posteriorly of the vertebral colum
Lordosis
Where are the posterior concaves in the vertebral column
Lumbar and cervical vertebrae
How many vertebrae are in the spine ? And how many are moveable?
33 total
24 moveable
How many cervical vertebrae
7
How many thoracic vertebrae
12
How many lumbar vertebrae
5
How many sacral vertebrae
5 ( fused not long after birth)
How many coccygeal vertebrae
3-4 (fused during midlife)
Thoracic and sacral curvatures are? When do they develop?
Primary curvatures
Develop in fetal life
The cervical curvature is ? When does it develop?
Secondary curvatures
Develops at 3 months when infant holds head erect
Lumbar curvatures are? When do they develop?
Secondary curvatures
Develops as a child begins to walk (11-13 month)
Any mediolateral curvature of spine
Scoliosis
What are the superior and inferior articulate facets of vertebrae for
Articulation with other vertebrae and restricts movement
What are the transverse process and spinous process of vertebrae for
Muscle attachments
What are the pedicle and lamina of vertebrae for
They form vertebral foramen to protect spinal cord
What does the body of a vertebrae do
Supports body weight
The superior and inferior vertebral notches of adjacent vertebrae form the
Intervertebral foramen
Spinal nerves exit the vertebral column through the
Intervertebral foramen
Common in older people, especially in cervical and lumbar regions, encroachments occur on intervertebral foramina and on vertebral canal that CAUSE PRESSURE ON NERVE ROOTS resulting in radiculopathy
Spondylosis
Transverse foramen are specific to what vertebrae
Cervical
What artery passes through the transverse foramen
Vertebral artery
Spinous process of C3 and C6 are
Short and bifid (divides by deep notch)
What vertebrae is atlas?
C1
What vertebrae is axis
C2
What is special about atlas (C1)
No body
Large superior articulate facets for occipital condyles of skull
What is special about axis (C2)
Dens
What structure is specific to thoracic vertebrae
Costal facets
What is the purpose of costal facets on thoracic vertebrae
On bodies of vertebrae for articulation with head of ribs
On transverse process for articulation with tubercles of ribs
Cervical vertebrae have what kind of body
Small or non existent body
In cervical vertebrae which way do the superior and inferior articular facets face
Superior - superiorly
Inferior- inferiorly
In cervical vertebrae the spinous and transverse processes are
Lever-like
Muscles and ligaments are attached to it and act as levers to move vertebrae
The spinous process of thoracic vertebrae are
Long, inferiorly directed
In thoracic vertebrae superior and inferior articular facets face
Superior- posteriorly
Inferior- anteriorly
Bodies of lumbar vertebrae are
Large and heavy
Spinous and transverse processes of lumbar vertebrae are
Short and sturdy
In lumbar vertebrae superior and inferior articular facets face
Superior- medially
Inferior- laterally
The heavy body of lumbar vertebrae supports
Weight of torso, upper limbs, and head
What attaches to the sacrum superiorly and what attaches laterally
Superiorly- L5
Laterally- hip bones (ilium)
Deformity where 5th lumbar vertebrae is partly or completely incorporated into sacrum, this is in 5% of people
Sacralization of 5th lumbar vertebrae or hemisacralization
Deformity where 1st sacral vertebra is separated from the sacrum
Lumbarization of 1st sacral vertebra
In the sacrum and coccyx the spinous process and articular processes are fused into
Jagged ridges
Provides access to the sacral canal
Sacral hiatus
Joint between coccyx and sacrum can
Move a little
- important during childbirth
- fused at old age
The intervertebral discs are composed of
Nucleus pulposus
Anulus fibrosus
Gelatinous central mass of the intervertebral disc
Nucleus pulposus
The outer fibrous part of intervertebral discs, composed of fibrocartilage
Anulus fibrosus
The intervertebral joint allows
Compression
Bending
Twisting
What are the three types of movement of vertebrae
Flexion / extension / hyperextension
Lateral bending
Twisting (rotation)
Movement between vertebrae is
Small
Movement between vertebrae is greatest in
Lumbar and cervical regions
What is a zygapophyseal joint
Superior articular facet and an inferior articular facet
All zygapophyseal facets are plane type of ? And are oriented somewhat?
Synovial joints
Superoinferiorly
Cervical zygapophyseal joints have
Lots of mobility
Thoracic zygapophyseal joints have
Limited mobility
Lumbar zygapophyseal joints have
Moderate mobility
Flexion of cervical vertebrae tends to
Open up the intervertebral foramen
Extension, lateral bending, and rotation of cervical vertebrae
Crowd the intervertebral foramina
What movements are possible in cervical vertebrae
Flexion
Extension
Lateral flexion
Rotation (especially at atlantoaxial joint)
Movements possible at thoracic vertebrae
Rotation
Limited flexion, extension, and lateral flexion
Thoracic vertebrae are most stable due to
Articulations with ribs, costal cartilage, and sternum
Movement possible at lumbar vertebrae
Flexion
Extension
Lateral flexion
Almost NO rotation
In the spine ligaments
Limit movement
The anterior longitudinal ligament prevents
Hyperextension of vertebral column
Hyperextension of neck in a rear end car crash causes stretching or tearing of
The anterior longitudinal ligament
Muscles of the back are in two groups
Intrinsic muscles
Extrinsic muscles
Muscles of the back proper
Intrinsic muscles
Muscles of the upper limb / thorax that have migrated onto the back
Extrinsic muscles
Intrinsic muscles of the back are all innervated segmentally by
Posterior rami of seminal nerves
What side is the motor side and what side is the sensory side of the spinal cord
Sensory- dorsal / posterior
Motor- ventral / anterior
Cutaneous sensory territory of a single spinal nerve
Dermatome
Mass of muscle innervated by a single spinal nerve
Myotome
Dermomyotome refers to both
Dermatomes and myotomes
Origin and insertion of splenius capitis
O: Nuchal ligament and spinous process of lower cervical and upper thoracic vertebrae
I: mastoid process and superior nuchal line of occipital bone
Nerve and action of splenius capitis
N: segmentally by posterior rami
A: unilaterally- laterally flexes and rotates head and neck to same side
Bilaterally- extends / hyperextends neck
Splenius cervicis origin and insertion
O: nuchal ligament and spinous process of upper thoracic vertebrae
I: transverse process of upper cervical vertebrae
Nerve and action of splenius cervicis
N: segmentally by posterior rami
A: unilaterally- laterally flexes and rotates head and neck to same side
Bilaterally- extends / hyperextends neck
What are the erector spinae muscles? And what is their primary action?
Iliocostalis
Longissimus
Spinalis
To extend the back from a flexes position
Origin and insertion of iliocostalis
O: sacrum, iliac crest
I: angle of the ribs
Nerve and action of iliocostalis
N: segmentally by posterior rami
A: extend / laterally bend vertebral column
Origin and insertion of longissimus
O: sacrum, iliac crest, spinous process of sacrum and lumbar vertebrae
I: transverse processes of vertebrae, between angle and tubercles of ribs
Nerve and action of longissimus
N: segmentally by posterior rami
A: extend / laterally bend vertebral column , extends head
Origin and insertion of spinalis
O: sacrum, iliac crest, spinous processes of sacrum and lumbar vertebrae
I: spinous processes of vertebrae
Nerve and action of spinalis
N: segmentally by posterior rami
A: extend / laterally bend vertebral column
What are the superficial intrinsic muscles of back
Splenius capitis
Splenius cervicis
What are the intermediate intrinsic muscles of the back
The 3 erector spinae muscles
What are the deep intrinsic muscles of the back
The 3 transversospinal muscles
Levator costarum
Interspinales
Intertransversarii
What are the transversospinal muscles
Semispinalis
Multifidus
Rotatores
Origin and insertion of semispinalis
O: transverse processes of cervical and thoracic vertebrae
I: occipital bone, spinous processes, spans 4-6 segments
Nerve and action of semispinalis
N: segmentally by posterior rami
A: extends head and thoracic / cervical region of vertebral column
Multifidus origin and insertion
O: sacrum, ilium, mammillary transverse and articular processes of vertebrae
I: spinous processes, spans 2-4 segments
Nerve and action of multifidus
N: segmentally by posterior rami
A: stabilizes vertebrae
Origin and insertion of rotatores
O: transverse processes of vertebrae
I: lamina and spinous process of vertebrae 1-2 segments above
Nerve and action of rotatores
N: segmentally by posterior rami
A: stabilizes vertebrae
Levatores costarum origin and insertion
O: tips of transverse processes
I: between tubercle and angle of ribs below
Levatores costarum nerve and action
N:segmentally by posterior rami
A: elevates ribs (assists with inspiration)
Interspinales is found
Between spinous processes of adjacent vertebrae
Where are intertransversarii found
Between transverse processes of adjacent vertebrae
What muscles make up the suboccipital triangle
Obliquus capitis superior
Obliquus capitis inferior
Rectus capitis posterior minor
Rectus capitis posterior major
Origin and insertion of rectus capitis posterior major
O: spinous process of C2 (axis)
I: inferior nuchal line of occipital bone
Nerve and action of rectus capitis posterior major
N: suboccipital nerve
A: unilaterally rotates head, bilaterally extends neck
Origin and insertion of rectus capitis posterior minor
O: posterior arch of C1 (atlas)
I: inferior nuchal line of occipital bone
Nerve and action of rectus capitis posterior minor
N: suboccipital nerve
A: unilaterally rotates head, bilaterally extends neck
Origin and insertion of obliquus capitis superior
O: transverse process of C1 (atlas)
I: inferior nuchal line of occipital bone
Nerve and action of obliquus capitis superior
N: suboccipital nerve
A: unilaterally flexes head to ipsilateral side, bilaterally extends head
Origin and insertion of obliquus capitis inferior
O: spinous process of C2 (axis)
I: transverse process of C1 (atlas)
Nerve and action of obliquus capitis inferior
N: suboccipital nerve
A: unilaterally rotates C1 and head, bilaterally extends neck
