Anatmony Of The Back

Question 1

How many bones are there in the back?

Answer 1

33

Question 2

Cervical spine

Answer 2

Found in neck

Question 3

Size of vertebrae increase from?

Answer 3

Superior to inferior (moving down the spine)

Question 4

What are the functions of the vertebrae column?

Answer 4

Weight bearing

Protection

Movement

Site of muscle attachments

Question 5

What do curvatures and intervertebral discs do?

Answer 5

Act as shock absorption - help with weight-bearing.

Question 6

Kyphoses (thoracic and sacral)

Answer 6

Already present in foetus

Question 7

Lordoses (cervical and lumbar)

Answer 7

concave parts

Develop during infancy

Question 8

Excessive thoracic kyphosis

Answer 8

Seen in older people
Bigger upper curve
Osteoporosis

Question 9

Excessive lumbar lordosis

Answer 9

Perfectly normal in pregnant woman
Sue to weight of growing baby

Reversible

Question 10

Abnormal curvatures

Answer 10

Scoliosis

Common in adolescents

Spine curved to the side

Question 11

What are names of abnormal curvatures?

Answer 11

Scoliosis

Excessive thoracic kyphosis

Excessive lumbar lordosis

Question 12

Parts of typical vertebra

Answer 12

Vertebral body
Pedicle (foot of arch)
Lamina (body of arch)
Transverse process 
Spinous process
Superior& inferior articulate processes 
Vertebral arch

Question 13

Types of vertebrae

Answer 13

Cervical

Thoracic

Lumbar

Sacral

Coccygeal

Question 14

Differences in spinous process in different types of vertebrae.

Answer 14

Thoracic - long and thin

Lumbar - shorter and thicker

Cervical - two parts

Question 15

Intervertebral discs

Answer 15

Important shock absorbers -weight bearing

2 parts - central jelly core with high water content
(Nucleus pulposus)

              Annulus fibrosus RINGs - fibro cartilage

Question 16

What are the two parts of the intervertebral discs?

Answer 16

Nucleus pulposus (inside, jelly and water)

Annulus fibrosus (outside rings)

Question 17

‘Slipped disc’

Answer 17

Herniated nucleus pulposus - part of gel-like nucleus leaks

Causes pain

Question 18

Meninges

Answer 18

Membranes that surround spinal chord

3 layers: 
Dura mater (thick and strong)
Arachnoid mater (middle layer, looks like a spider web, flimsy, thin fibres)
Pia mater (innermost, tightly attached to spinal chord)

Question 19

Protection of spinal chord

Answer 19

Spinal chord
Spinal nerves
Arteries and veins

Question 20

What is CSF?

Answer 20

Cerebral-spinal fluid

Question 21

Movements of the spine

Answer 21

Flexion & extension
Lateral flexion & extension
Rotation of head & neck
Rotation of upper trunk

Question 22

Joints of vertebral column

Answer 22

Intervertebral disc - symphysis - secondary cartilaginous

Facet joints - join discs together - synovial plane

Joints with ribs - synovial plane

Joint with skull and atlas - synovial ellipsoid

Joint with atlas & axis - synovial pivot joint

Question 23

Ligaments of vertebral column

Answer 23

Posterior longitudinal
Anterior longitudinal

Ligament up flavour
Interspinous, between spinous processes
Supraspinous, lies along edge of spinous processes

Question 24

Muscles that attach to the spine

Answer 24

Extrinsic back muscles - head, upper limbs, thoracic, abdomen, lower limbs

Intrinsic back muscles - ERECTOR SPINAE, only acts on back. EXTENSION & CONTROLLED/ LATERAL FLEXION (uni-something)

Question 25

Relationships of spine

Answer 25

Muscles

Nerves (including sympathetic chain)

Arteries and veins, aorta

Lymphatic system - thoracic duct sits close to spine

Question 26

Ageing and pathological changes?

Answer 26

Intervertebral discs reduce/ lose water content = reduced shock absorption

Osteoarthritis = pain & stiffness of joints

Osteoporosis = loss of sponges bone, more prone to fracture, curvature of spine due to changing shape of discs.

Weakening of back muscles = imbalanced load on spine, which can result in back pain