Anatomy: Back and Spinal Cord Flashcards
Back components
Made up of the vertebral column, the spinal cord, spinal nerves, the overlaying muscles, skin
Vertebral column function
Encloses and supports spinal cord, supports head and trunk, an attachment for the limbs and transfers weight of the body to the lower limbs
Vertebral column components
33 vertebrae and their intervening intervertebral discs,
Regions of the vertebrae
7 cervical, 12 thoracic, 5 lumbar, 5 fused sacral, 3-5 fused coccygeal
Curvatures of the vertebral column
Cervical curvature (lordotic), thoracic curvature (kyphotic), lumbar curvature (lordotic), sacral/coccygeal curvature (kyphotic)
Kyphotic curvatures
Concave anteriorly, thoracic and sacral, primary curvatures present in the fetus
Lordotic curvatures
Concave posteriorly, cervical and lumbar, secondary curvatures that develop postnatally
Kyphosis
AKA hunchback, excess forward thoracic curvature, congenital or posture related, due to collapse of vertebral bodies
Lordosis
AKA swayback, excess inward lumbar curvature, temporary during pregnancy or caused by pathology or excessive weight
Scoliosis
Lateral curvature of the spine, congenital or pathologic (from cerebral palsy and muscular dystrophy)
Four movements of the back
Extension, flexion, lateral flexion, rotation
Extrinsic muscles of the back
Move the upper limbs and ribs
Intrinsic muscles of the back
Maintain posture and move the vertebral column
Vertebral components
Vertebral body, vertebral arch, processes for muscle attachment and articulation with bones
Vertebral arch
Formed by paired pedicles attached to the vertebral body and paired laminae joined to form the spinous process
Transverse processes
Project laterally from the vertebral arch
Superior and inferior articular processes
Articulate with vertebrae above and below
Vertebral foramen
Encircled by the vertebral body and arch
Vertebral canal
Formed by the vertebral formina to protect the spinal cord
Where do spinal nerves exit?
From the intervertebral foramina between adjacent vertebral arches
Intervertebral joints
Between intervertebral disks and articular surfaces of vertebral bodies, symphyses, cartilaginous joints that are only slightly mobile
Zygapophyseal joints
AKA facet joints, between superior and inferior articular processes, synovial joints, contain fluid, allow for movement, prone to arthritis
Intervertebral discs
Have annulus fibrosis surrounding the nucleus pulposus
Herniated disc
Degeneration of the annulus fibrosis leads to herniation of the nucleus pulposus, can impinge on spinal cord or spinal nerves
Joints of the vertebral column
Intervertebral joints and zygapophyseal (facet) joints
Ligaments of the vertebral column
Supraspinous, interspinous, posterior longitudinal, anterior longitudinal, ligamentum flavum, nuchal