A2 Flashcards
How many bones are in the vertebral column?
7 cervical , 12 thoracic, 5 lumbar, 5 sacral and 4 coccygeal
What are the movements at the vertebral column?
Flexion, extension, lateral flexion, rotation and circumduction
What are the two curvatures of the vertebral column?
Primary (kyphosis): thoracic and sacral concave anteriorly
Secondary (lordosis): cervical and lumbar convex anteriorly
What are two differentials of the thoracic, lumbar, and cervical vertebrae?
Thoracic: heart shaped body, spinous process points downwards, costal facets, and small circular vertebral foramen
Lumbar: kidney bean shaped body, spinous process is short, vertebral foramen is triangle
Cervical: small body, spinous process small and bifid, large triangular vertebral foramen and transverse foramen
What are the atypical vertebrae?
C1: Atlas - no body, two lateral masses , anterior and posterior arches, and no spinous process
C2: Axis - odontoid process (dens)
C7: vertebra prominens - long, non-bifid spinous process, transverse foramen only contains vertebral veins
What type of joint is the Atlanta-occipital joint and what movements does it allow?
Condyloid synovial joint
Attachments: superior articulations surface of atlas and occipital condyle
Movements: flexion, extension and lateral flexion
What type of joint is the Atlanta-axial joint?
Plane synovial joint
Inferior facets of atlas and superior facets of axis
What are the supportive ligaments of the Atlanta-axial joint?
Apical ligament - dens to anterior foramen magnum
Alar ligament - dens to medial occipital condyles
Transverse cruciate ligament - body of axis to anterior foramen magnum
Membrane tectoria: extension of longitudinal ligament (covers dens and other ligaments)
What type of joint is the zygapopheal joints?
Plane synovial joint between adjacent superior and inferior articuler facets of vertebrae
What are the supporting ligaments of the zygapopheal joints?
Intertransverse - between adjacent transverse process
Ligamentum flavum: between lamina of adjacent vertebrae
Supraspinous: tip of adjacent spinous process
Ligament nuchae - thickening of interspinous ligament from C7 to the occipital protuberance
What is type of joint is between adjacent vertebrae bodies?
Cartilaginous joints (hyaline)
What is the intervertebral disc?
It is a pad of fibrocartilage acting as a shock absorber between vertebral bodies
It is made up of an outer annulus fibrosus and internal nucleus pulposus
What are the supportive ligaments of the vertebral body joints?
Anterior and posterior longitudinal joints
Limits hyperextension and hyperflexion (respectively)
What is the vascular supply to the spinal cord and vertebral column?
Spinal anterior spinal artery - from vertebral artery via median fissure; posterior spinal arteries - from vertebral or posterior inferior cerebellar arteries
Blood to internal vertebral plexus then to external vertebral plexus and ends up in the brachiocephalic, superior vena cava, inferior vena cava or internal iliac veins
What is the route of the sciatic nerve?
Forms from L4 - S3 > greater sciatic foramen > goes under piriformis > deep to glut. maximum > crosses ischial tuberosity and descends on the obturator internus > deep to hamstring and crossed by long head of biceps femoris > terminates as the tibial and common fibula nerve
