A7 - Vertebrae cervicales, thoracales et lumbales, their junctions

Question 1

Give the number of vertebrae in the different regions

Answer 1

Cervical:

• Eq: 7
• Ca: 7
• Ru: 7
• Su: 7

Thoracic:

• Eq: 18
• Ca: 13 (12-14)
• Ru: 13
• Su: 14-15

Lumbar:

• Eq: 6
• Ca: 7
• Ru: 6
• Su: 6

Sacral:

• Eq: 5
• Ca: 3
• Ru: 5
• Su: 4
• (Goat: 5)

coccygeal (caudal):

• Eq: 15-21
• Ca: 20-23
• Ru: 18-20
• Su: 20-23
• (Sheep: 3-24)
• (Goat: 12-16)

Question 2

Give the general structures of a vertebrae

Answer 2

• Corpus vertebrae
• Caput vertebrae [extremitas cranialis]​
• Fossa vertebrae [ext remitas caudalis]
• Crista ventralis
  
  • ​​On corpus of cervical, cranial and caudal thoracic, and lumbar vertebrae
• Arcus vertebrae
  
  • ​Forms for. vertebrae dorsally and laterally
  • Pediculus arcus vertebrae
    
    • ​Ventral
    • Root of arcus vertebralis, attached to corpus vertebralis
  • Lamina arcus vertebrae
    
    • ​Dorsal
    • Formed by arcus vertebralis and corpus vertebrae
• Foramen vertebrale
  
  • ​Formed by:
    
    • Arcus vertebralis
    • C**orpus vertebrae
• Incisura vertebralis cranialis
  
  • ​Cranial notch on pediculus arcus vertebrae
• Incisura vertebralis caudalis
  
  • ​Caudal notch on pediculus arcus vertebrae
  • The notches of the adjacent vertebrae come together to form for. intervertebralis
  • Bo: divided by a bony bridge. Called for. vertebrale laterale
• Foramen intervertebrale
  
  • ​Conversion of incisura vertebralis caudalis into a foramen
  • Ru: especially in thoracic vertebrae
  • Eq: occasionally
  • Ca: doubled
• Processus spinosus
• Processus transversus
• Processus articularis cranialis
  
  • Each vertebrae have 2 pairs
  • ​On arcus vertebralis
• Processus articularis caudalis
  
  • Each vertebrae have 2 pairs
  • ​On arcus vertebralis
• ​​​Processus accessorius (ca, su)
  
  • Between proc. articularis caudalis and proc. transversus.
  • Su: on caudal thoracic vertebrae
  • Ca: on caudal thoracic and lumbar vertebrae
• Processus mamillairs
  
  • ​Between proc. transversus and proc. articularis cranialis
  • On thoracic and lumbar vertebrae
• Canalis vertebralis
  
  • ​Formed by forr. vertebrale of all vertebrae
  • Lodges the spinal cord
• Spatium interarcuale
  
  • ​Between arcus vertebralis
  • Accessible for injection and punction
  • Spatium atlatooccipitale (os occipitale → atlas)
  • Spatium atlantoaxiale (atlas → axis)
  • Spatium lumbosacrale (last lumbar → first sacral)

Question 3

Vertebrae cervicalis

Give the structure special for vertebrae cervicalis

Answer 3

• All mammalian species have 7 cervical vertebre
• Atlas and axis facilitate free movement of the head

Strucutre special for vertebrae cervicalis

• Processus transversus
  
  • Tuberculum ventrale
    
    • ​Cranioventral branch of proc transversus
    • On C3 - C5
  • Lamina ventralis
    
    • ​Sagittal plate instead of a tuberculum ventrale
    • On C7???
  • Foramen transversarium
    
    • ​Opening in transverse process for passage of vertebral vessels and nerves
    • Forms canalis transversarius
    • Ø C7
  • Tuberculum dorsale
    
    • ​Caudodorsal branch of proc. transversus
    • On C3-C6
• Fovea costalis caudalis (C7)7
  
  • ​On C7

Question 4

Vertebrae cervicales: atlas

1. Give the structures special for atlas
2. Give the interspecies differences
3. Draw atlas

Answer 4

1. Structures special for atlas:​

• Massa lateralis
• Ala atlantis
  
  • ​Fossa atlantis (ventral suface of ala atlantis)
  • Foramen alare (ø ca) (leads into fossa atlantis)
  • Incisura alaris (ca) (Instead of for. alare)
  • For. transversarium (ø ru) (Ala atalntis is perforated caudally by the foramen)
• For. vertebrale laterale (medial exit of the vetebral canal, from for. alare)
• Fovea articularis cranialis (articulates with condylus occipitalis)
• Fovea articularis caudalis (articulate with the processes of axis)
• Arcus dorsalis
  
  • ​Tuberculum dorsale (carried by arcus dorsalis. Modified proc. spinosus)
• Arcus ventralis
  
  • Tuberculum ventral (carried by arcus ventralis)
  • Fovea dentis (internal surface of arcus ventralis. For articulation with dens of axis)
• Ø processus spinosus
• Ø corpus vertebrae
• Ø processus articularis (instead: fovea articularis cran et caud)

2. Interspecies differences:

• Ala atlantis
  
  • Lateral direction
  • Eq: ventrolateral direction
• Foramen:
  
  • For. vertebrale laterale
  • For. transversarium (ø ru)
  • For. alare (ø ca)
    
    • Ca: Incisura alare

Question 5

Vertebrae cervicales: axis

1. Give the structures special for axis
2. Give the interspecies differences
3. Draw axis

Answer 5

• Long body
• Prominent crista ventralis

1. structures special for axis

• Dens
• Incisura vertebralis cranialis (ca)
• Incisura vertebralis lateralis (ø ca)
• Present:
  
  • Processus spinosus
  • Processus transversus (poorly developed with only a caudal process)
    
    • For. transversarium (perforates the wing of proc. transversus)
  • Processus articularis cranialis
    
    • ​Facies articularis cranialis
  • Processus articularis caudalis
    
    • ​Facies articularis caudalis
  • Incisura vertebralis cranialis (ca)
  • Incisura vertebralis caudalis (ca)
  • For. vertebrale laterale (Ø ca) (Incisura vertebralis caudalis?)

​2. Interspecies differences

• Spinous processes:
  
  • Eq: Curved, the caudal part is divided → articular surface
  • Ru: Rectangular, straight (convex dorsal border), not divided
  • Ca: Extends cranially and caudally
  • Sus: “Cut” in the dorsalcranial part, triangular
• Incisura vertebralis cranialis (ca)
• Incisura vertebralis caudalis (ca)
• Incisura vertebralis lateralis (ø ca)
• For. vertebrale laterale (Ø ca)
• Facies articularis cranialis: divided in Eq

Question 6

Vertebrae cervicales: C3-C7

Answer 6

• Corpus vertebrae:
  
  • ​Diminish in length towards the thorax
  • Crista ventralis (prominent)
• Processus spinosus:
  
  • ​Eq: rudimentary
  • Other: gradually increasing in length from cranial to caudal
• Processus transversus:
  
  • ​Distinct
  • Each comprise a ventral and dorsal part (Ø C7)
  • For. transversarium (Ø C7)
• Processus articularis cranialis et caudalis:
  
  • ​Facies articularis cranialis et caudalis are in horizontal plane (allows free lateral movement of the neck)
• Incisura vertebralis cranialis et caudalis:
  
  • ​Deep

Question 7

Vertebrae cervicales: C3 - C5

1. Give the structures special for C3-C5

Answer 7

1. Structures special for C3-C5

• Tuberculum dorsale
• Tuberculum ventrale
• Small proc. spinosus
  
  • ​Eq: barely exciting
• For. transversus is divided into dorsal and ventral part
• Large cranial and caudal articular surface
• For. transversarium

Question 8

Vertebrae cervicales: C6

1. Characteristics of the structures
2. Give the structures special for C6

Answer 8

1. Characteristics of the structures​

• Processus transversus is modified into lamina ventralis

2. Structures special for C6

• Tuberculum dorsale
• Lamina ventralis (modified proc. transversus)

Question 9

Vertebrae cervicales: C7

1. Characterisitcs of C7
2. Give the structures special for C7

Answer 9

1. Characterisitcs of C7

• Corpus: ​Short
• Processis spinosis: high
• Processis transversus: represented by their dorsal parts and dorsal tuberosities
• Ø for. transversarium (in all other cervical vertebrae)

​2. Structures special for C7

• Fovea costalis caudalis:
  
  • Caudodorsally
  • ​Articular surface for the 1^st rib
  • Fovea costalis caudalis ⟷ facies articularis capitis costae cranialis

Question 10

Vertebrae thoracales

1. Common features of thoracic vertebrae
2. Strucutres to mention
3. Structures special to thoracic vertebrae
4. Interspecies differences
5. Draw a thoracic vertebrae

Answer 10

1. Common features of thoracic vertebrae

• Short bodies with flattened extremities
• Short processus articularis
• Very long processus spinosus
• Constal facets on both extremities
  
  • For the foveae costales (**facies articularis capitis costae cranialis et caudalis)
• Costal facets on the processus transversus
  
  • ​For facies articularis tuberculi costae

2. Strucutres to mention

• Corpus vertebrae (​Shorter)
  
  • Crista ventralis (​on caudal thoracic vertebrae)​
• Extremitas cranialis [=Caput vertebrae]
• Extremitas caudalis [=Fossa vertebrae]
• Arcus vertebrae
• Pediculus arcus vertebrae
• Lamina arcus vertebrae
• Foramen vertebrale
• Incisura vertebralis cranialis (more shallow than incisura vertebralis caudalis)
• Incisura vertebralis caudalis (more deep than incisura vertebralis cranialis)
• Foramen intervertebrale
• Processus spinosus (​More developed on the cranial thoracic vertebrae)
  
  • Withers (the region in which the thoracic vertebrae have especially tall spine)
  • Vertebra anticlinales
• Processus transversus
• Processus articularis cranialis
• Processus articularis caudalis

3. Structures special to thoracic vertebrae:

• Fovea costalis cranialis → facies articularis capitis costae caudalis
• Fovea costalis caudalis → facies articularis capitis costae cranialis
  
  • Absent in the last thoracic vertebrae
  • Present on C7
• Fovea costalis processus transversi → facies articularis tuberculi costae
• Processus mamillaris
  
  • ​Between proc. transversus and proc. articularis cranialis
  • On thoracic and lumbar vertebrae
  • Directed cranially
  • Processus mamilloarticulares (proc. articularis cranialis fused with proc. mamillaris)
    
    • In vertebrae caudal to the anticlinal vertebra
• Processus accessorius (ca, su)
  
  • ​Between proc. articularis caudalis and proc. transversus
  • Ca: on caudal thoracic and lumbar vertebrae
  • Su: on caudal thoracic vertebrae

4. Interspecies differences:

• Processus accessorius (Ca, su)
  
  • ​Between proc. articularis caudalis and proc. transversus
  • Ca: on caudal thoracic and lumbar vertebrae
  • Su: on caudal thoracic vertebrae
• Processus spinosus
  
  • ​Eq: increases in length to the 4^th or 5^th vertebra
  • Car: gradually reduced in size
  • Bo: increases in length to the 3^rd vertebrae
  • Eq, Bo: thereafter they gradually diminsh in Bo and Eq to the 12^th or 13^th thoracic vertebrae
• Incisura vertebralis caudalis: Bo: a bony ridge divides the lateral vertebral foramen into two

Question 11

Vertebrae thoracales: Vertebra anticliniales

1. Definition
2. Give the anticlinial vertebrae in different species

Answer 11

1. Definition:

• Thoracic vertebrae with vertical spine are termed vertebrae anticlinales
• The cranial spinous processes are inclined caudally
  
  • They gradually become more upright until those of the last thoracic vertebrae like those of the lumbar region – they are almost vertical

2. Anticlinial vertebrae in different species:

• Eq: Th 16
• Ca: Th 10
• Ru: Th 13
• Su: Th 12

Question 12

Lumbar vertebrae

1. Characteristics of lumbar vertebrae
2. Structures special for lumbar vertebrae

Answer 12

1. Characteristics of lumbar vertebrae

• Corpus vertebrae:
  
  • Longer than the thoracic
  • Shorter than the cervicals
• Extremitas cranialis et caudalis
  
  • ​Flat
• Crista ventralis and median dorsal ridge are similar to the thoracics
• Arcus vertebralis:
  
  • ​Forms a widened vertebral canal to accomodate the swelling of the spinal cord in the lumbar region (intermescentia lumbalis)
• Processus articularis:
  
  • ​Saggital
  • Cranial articular process fused with the mamillary processes = processus mammoarticularis?
• Incisura vertebralis cranialis:
  
  • ​Less deep
• Incisura vertebralis caudalis​

2. Structures special for lumbar vertebrae

• Processus malillaris
  
  • ​Fused with fascies articualris cranialis
  • On thoracic and lumbar vertebrae
  • Between proc. transversus and proc. articularis cranialis
    
    • ​Projected cranially
• Processus accessorius (ca) (ca, su: caudal thoracic)
  
  • Between proc. transversus and proc. articularis caudalis
  • Ca: caudal projected
• Processus costalis:
  
  • ​Replacement of processus transversarius??
  • Represents rudimentary ribs
  • Extends laterally

3. Interspecies differences:

• Processus spinosus:
  
  • Eq: long and slender, directed cranially
  • ​Ca: length increases in heigth up to L5/L6, directed cranially
  • Ox: inclined caudally, short
• Processus costalis:
  
  • ​Ca: directed downwards and forwards
  • Ru: directed horizontally, at the end bended, longer than in Eq
  • Eq: directed horizontally
• Processus transversarius:
  
  • ​Eq:
    
    • Articular surface on L5-L6, caudal
      
      • They articulate with each other
    • Proc. transversarius of the last vertebra articulate with the wing of the sacrum
• Incisura vertebralis caudalis​:
  
  • ​Ox: L1-L3 converted into foramen by a ridge of bone
    
    • For. vertebrale laterale is divided

Question 13

Junctions

Which junctions should be mentioned?

Answer 13

• Short ligaments - connecting adjacent vertebrae
• Long ligaments - passing over several vertebrae
• Art. costovertebrails
  
  • ​Art. capitis costae
  • Art. costotransversaria

Question 14

Junctions

Give the junctions between that should be presented in the topic

Answer 14

1. Art. atlantooccipitalis
2. Art. atlantoaxialis
3. Between other vertebrae
4. Art. capitis costae
5. Art. costotransversaria

Question 15

Junctions

Art. atlantooccipitalis

Answer 15

• Diarthrosis
• Two art. ellipsoida
  
  • ​Movements: Flexion and extensio
• 2 joint capsules
• Between: fovea articularis cranialis of atlas → condylus occipitalis (both)

Structures:

• Capsula articularis (2 joint capsules)
  
  • ​Membrana atlantooccipitalis ventralis (Ventral thickening of capsula articularis)
• Membrana atlantooccipitalis dorsalis (Connects​ arcus dorsalis of atlas → os occipitale)
• Lig. laterale (A**la atlantis → processus paracondylaris of os occipitale)

Question 16

Junctions

Art. atlantoaxialis

Answer 16

• Diarthrosis
• Art. trochoidea (monoaxial) (pivot joint)
• Between: dens of axis → fovea dentis of the atlas
• • ​​The caudal articular surface of the atlas artticulates with the cranial articular surface of the axis
• Have a common joint capsule

ligaments

1. Membrana atlantoaxialie
   
   • Strengthen the joint capsule dorsally btw the arches
2. Lig. interspinale
   
   • Elastic
   • From dorsal tubercle of the atlas to the spine of the axis
3. Lig. atlantoaxiale
   
   • From ventral tubercle of the atlas, then bifucates to insert on either side of the ventral crest of axis
4. Lig. longitudinale dentis (eq, ru)
   
   • Fans out from dens of axis to the basilar part + condyles of occipital bone
5. Ligg. alaria
   
   • Originates from the dens
   • Inserts on:
     
     • Eq: Inner surface of the arch of the atlas
     • Ca: Occipital condyles
     • Sus: Ventral border of foramen magnum
6. Lig. transverasrium atlantis (ca, sus)
   
   • From the dens, spans out on the atlas

Structures:

• Capsula articularis
• Membrana atlantoaxialis dorsale (Arcus dorsalis of atlas → arch of axis)
• Membrana tectoria (Dorsal surface of the body of axis → For. magnum, ventral. Also attached inside atlas)
• Lig. transversum atlantis (ca, su) (From one side of atlas to the other, dorsal to dens)
• Lig. longitudinale dentis (eq, bo) (D**ens, dens → arcus ventralis of atlas)
• Lig. apicis dentis (ø eq) (From apex of dens → pars basilaris of os occipitale)
• Ligg alaria (car, su) (From lateral border of dens → condylus occipitalis (car) or ventral border of for. magnum (su))
• Lig. atlantoaxiale ventrale (ru, eq) (From tuberculum ventrale of atlas → crista ventralis of axis)

Question 17

Junctions

Articulation of other vertebrae

Answer 17

Short ligaments connecting adjacent vertebrae:

1. Ligg. flava
   
   • Interarcuate ligaments
   • Elastic sheets
   • Connect the arches, covering the interarcuate space
2. Ligg. interspinalia
   
   • Interspinous ligaments
   • Connect the spinous processes, fill interspinous space
   • Eq: Elastic in the cervical potion of the vertebral column
   • Ca: Ligaments replaced with muscles
   • Ru: All have elastic elements
3. Ligg. intertransversaria
   
   • Intertransverse ligaments
   • Connect the transverse processes

Long ligaments passing over several vertebrae

1. Lig. longitudinale dorsale
   
   • ​Inside the vertebral canal, on the floor
   • Attached to dorsal surface of of corpus vertebrae and discus intervertebralis
   • Dens of axis → sacrum (ca: caudal vertebrae)
2. Lig. nuchae (Ø fe, sus)
   
   • ​Axis (ca) → sacrum (as lig. supraspinale)
   • Eq, ru: consists of two parts:
     
     • Funiculus nuchae
       
       • ​Ca: proc. spinosus of axis
       • Eq, ru: squamous occipital bone
     • Lamina nuchae (ø ca)
3. (Lig. longitudinale ventrale)

Question 18

Junctions

General features about the junctions in thoracic vertebrae

Answer 18

• The mobility decrease, compared to cervical vertebrae
  
  • Smaller articular suface
  • Smaller joint capsule
  • Articular surface change positon

Question 19

Juctions

Art. costovertebralis

Answer 19

• Composed of two articulations, with separate joint capsule:
  
  1. Art. capitis costae
     
     • Speroid joint
     • Convex articular surface of caput costae → adjacent thoracic vertebrae (ø 1^ts rib, articulate with C7)
  2. Art. costotransversaria
     
     • Amphiarthrosis
     • Flat articular surface of tuberculum costae → fovea costalis processus transversi of the thoracic vertebrae of the same serial number

Strucutres of art. capitis costae

• Capsula articularis
• Lig. capitis costae radiatum (capitis costae → corpus vertebrae)
• Lig. capitis costae intraarticulare (crista capitis costae → dorsal vertebrae)
  
  • ​Lig. intercapitale (capitis costae → capitis costae)

Structures of art. costotransversaria

• Capsula articularis
• Lig. costotransversarium (collum costae → proc. transversus)
• Lig. lumbocostale (last rib → proc. transversus of L1)

Question 20

Junctions

What is the intervertebral disc composed of?

Answer 20

1. Nucleus pulpus
2. Anulus fibrosus