Anatomy: Back & Spine Flashcards
What passes through the cervical vertebrae?
spinal cord and vertebral arteries
What part of the vertebrae does the spinal cord go through?
vertebral foramen
What are the primary curvatures?
thoracic and sacral
What are the secondary curvatures?
cervical and lumbar
What is kyphosis?
accentuated thoracic curvature
What is lordosis?
accentuated lumbar curvature
What is scoliosis?
lateral cutvature of the spine
What causes kyphosis?
osteoporisis
What causes lordosis?
weight gain (pregnancy)
What makes up the vertebral arch?
2 pedicles, 2 lamina
What are the 7 vertebral processes?
spinous
transverse (2)
articular (2 superior, 2 inferior)
What is the most common location of vertebral fracture?
Pars intra-articularis (between inferior and superior articular processes
What are facet joints?
synovial joints between articular processes
What are intervertebral discs?
cartilagenous joints between vertebral bodies
What are the two parts of IV discs?
anulus fibrosus (outisde, adheres to vertebrae) nucleus pulposus (inside, shock absorber)
Where are intervertebral foramina?
between IV discs and facet joints
What runs through intervertebral foramina?
spinal nerves
What is the orientation of the facets in each spinal region?
45 degrees off transverse (cervical)
frontal (thoracic)
saggital (lumbar)
What motions happen in the lumbar spine?
flexion/extention
What motions happen in the thoracic spine?
lateral rotation
What motions happen in the cervical spine?
multi-axial
What is the most common spinal region for mechanical injury?
cervical
What makes up atlas?
anterior & posterior arches
articular processes
What do the superior facets of atlas articulate?
occipital condyles of skull
What motion does the atlanto-occipital joint provide?
nodding (yes)
What is a Jefferson fracture?
C1 fracture in multiple spots (ring shaped, can’t break in just one place)
What are the three articulations of the atlanto-axial joint?
two lateral facets
Dens
What motion does the atlanto-axial joint provide?
lateral rotation (no)
What is a Hangman fracture?
fracture of C2
How many pairs of spinal nerves are there?
31
What travels through the dorsal root?
axons of sensory nerves
What travels through the ventral root?
axons of motor nerves
What do the dorsal rami innervate?
back intrinsic muscles & skin
What is the anterior longitudinal ligament?
unites the anterior surface of the vertebral bodies
What is the posterior longitudinal ligament?
Unites posterior surface of vertebral bodies (inside vertebral canal)
What is the supraspinous ligament and what does it become?
unites spinous processes
becomes ligamentum nuchae in the cervical region
What is the interspinous ligament?
adjoins adjacent spinous processes
What is the ligamentum flavum?
adjoins lamina of adjacent vertebrae
sits in posterior vertebral column
What are the extrensic muscles of the back?
traps
lats
thomboids
levator spaculae
Latissimus dorsi (OIAI)
O - lower back
I - bicipital groove
A - extends, adducts, internal rotation of humerus
I - thoracodorsal nerve (C6-8)
Trapezius (OIAI)
O - upper back
I - clavicle, spacular spine
A - elevates, rotates, retracts scapula (shrug)
I - CN XI
What are the intermediate muscles of the back?
serratus posterior (superior & inferior)
What are the sections of the deep paraspinal muscles?
splenius (superficial)
erector spinae (intermediate)
transversospinalis (deepest)
What makes up the Erector spinae?
iliocostalis (lateral)
longissimus (middle)
spinalis (medial)
What makes up the transversospinalis?
semispinalis
multifundus
rotatores
What lies in the vertebral canal?
Spinal cord and meninges
How far down does the spinal cord extend?
L2
Where does the dural sac end?
S2
What is the end of the spinal cord called?
Conus medullaris
What is the filum terminale?
Anchors the spinal cord to the coccyx
How does a spinal nerve exit the column?
Exits the intervertebral foramen on the inferior side of its vertebrae, but superior to the intervertebral disc
How many cervical spinal nerves are there?
8
What are the three meninges?
Dura
Arachnoid
Pia
Where is the dura mater?
Surrounds the spinal cord and extends into the intervertebral foramen (dural sleeve)
Where is the pia mater?
Attached to the spinal cord
Where is the CSF?
Subarachnoid space (between arachnoid and pia)
What are denticulate ligaments?
Pieces of pia mater that attach to the arachnoid and anchor the cord laterally
What sits in the epidural space?
Fat and epidural venous plexus
How is the spinal cord vascularized?
Longitudinal arteries that anastomose with horizontal (segmental) arteries
How many segmental arteries enter the vertebral canal?
8-10
What vascularizes the inferior 2/3 of the spinal cord?
Great anterior segmental artery (artery of Adamkiewicz)
What drains blood from the spinal cord?
Epidural venous plexus
What is connected to the epidural plexus?
External venous plexus (anterior of body) Basivertebral plexus (bodies)
What is clinically important about interconnected vertebral venous plexuses?
Allows a pathway for Mets to the brain and vertebral column
What are the layers a spinal tap goes through?
Skin Supraspinous ligament Interspinous ligament Ligamentum flavum Epidural space Dura Arachnoid
Where is the weak point of IV discs?
Posterolateral, superior to the posterior longitudinal ligament attachments
What nerve is compressed by a L4 hernia?
L5. L4 leaves superiorly to the IV disc
What nerve is compressed by a C5-C6 hernia?
C6
