Anatomy Of Lumbar Spine Flashcards
What are the different types of vertebrae making up the spine in descending order?
Cervical
Thoracic
Lumbar
Sacral
Coccyx
How many cervical vertebrae are there?
7
How many Thoracic vertebrae are there?
12
How many lumbar vertebrae are there?
5
How many sacral vertebrae are there?
5
How many Coccygeal vertebrae are there?
4
What is special about the 5 sacral vertebrae?
Fused together to form Sacrum
What is special about the coccygeal vertebrae?
Fused together
What is the function of the spine?
Protects spinal cord
Bears weight
Locomotion
Posture
What is a function of the vertebral body of a vertebra?
Site of Haematopoiesis
What genes signal the development of somites?
HOX genes
What do somites form?
Sclerotomes
Dermatomyotomes
What is the primary curvature of the spine formed in the embryo?
Concave structure with the head facing forwards
What are the 2 primary curvatures of the spine?
Thoracic spine
Sacrum
Called Kyphosis
What is meant by the primary curvature of the spine?
Curvature formed at birth
Called Kyphosis
What is meant by secondary curvatures?
Curvature not present at birth but develop through life
Called Lordosis
What are the 2 secondary curvatures of the spine? (Lordosis)
Convex curvature of cervical spine
Convex curvature of lumbar spine
How does the Cervical curvature of the spine form? (Lordosis)
When we can hold our head by ourself
How does the lumbar curvature of the spine form? (Lordosis)
When we learn to walk
What are some vertebral column disorders?
Scoliosis
Lordosis
Kyphosis
What is Scoliosis?
Lateral curvature of the spine
What is Lordosis?
Secondary curvature of Lumbar spine and Cervical spine which are formed after birth
Cervical Lordosis when we can hold our heads
Lumbar Lordosis when we learn to walk
What is Kyphosis?
Primary curvatures of the spine which are formed before birth
Thoracic kyphosis
Sacrum kyphosis
What are the 2 main parts of a vertebra?
Ventral/anterior vertebral body
Posterior vertebral arch
What is the bony structure that joins the vertebral body to the posterior arch?
Pedicles
What is the hole between the vertebral body and arch called?
Vertebral foramen
When vertebrae are stacked on top of each other, what do the vertebral foramina form and what does it contain?
Spinal canal
Spinal cord
Cauda equina
On the vertebral arch, what is the part called which sticks out posteriorly?
Spinous process
What 2 components come together to form the spinous process?
Lamina
Of the lumbar spine, how does the size of the lumbar vertebral bodies change as you descend the spine and why?
They get bigger
Increase their weight bearing ability
What are the superior and inferior articular processes?
Allows articulation with vertebra above and below
Fascet joints
What are the outward protrusions on theposterior vertebral arch called and what is their function?
Transverse process
Site of muscle attachment
How do cervical vertebrae differ to lumbar vertebrae?
Have holes in their transverse processes
How are C1 and C2 specially structured vertebrae?
What is their function?
C1 = No vertebral body + massive vertebral foramen
C2 = has an extra structure called a dens (like a tooth)
Allows for rotation
How are thoracic vertebrae structured?
More triangle vertebral body
More circular vertebral Foramen
Also have articular surfaces/facet joint where they join to the ribs
How are lumbar vertebrae structured?
More triangle vertebral foramen
Round kidney bean shaped vertebral body
What are the intervertebral foramina?
Holes by which spinal nerves (dorsal root + ventral root) leave the spinal canal
What is the cartilage called between the vertebral bodies?
Intervertebral discs
Hyaline cartilage line end of bones, then articulates with intervertebral disc
What are the 2 parts to an intervertebral disc and how are they situated?
Nucleus pulposus (Central)
Annulus fibrosis (Peripherally/surrounding nucleus pulposus)
Why is it bad for surrounding nerves if the nucleus pulpsosus comes into contact with it when it tears?
It has an acidic environment
Why does healing of the intervertebral discs take so long?
Avascular (Poor blood supply)
What is the facet joint?
Synovial joint between inferior facet/articular process of 1 vertebra and the superior facet/articular process of the vertebra inferior to it
What are the features of a synovial joint?
Hyaline cartilage
Joint capsule
Synovial fluid
How are the facet joints orientated in the lumbar vertebra?
90º to transverse plane
45º to coronal plane
So basically diagonally outwards
What is Flexion and extension of the spine?
Flexion = bending forward
Extension = bending backwards
What is lateral Flexion and lateral extension?
Instead of bending backwards bend to the side (LATERAL FLEXION)
Lateral extension = Bending body back to middle
What other movements other than Flexion and extension does the spine allow?
Rotation of head and neck
Rotation of upper trunk
What are the 5 different ligaments of the vertebrae?
Supraspinous ligament
Interspinous ligament
Ligamentum flavum
Posterior longitudinal ligament
Anterior longitudinal ligament
Where is the supraspinous ligament found?
Running on the spinous processes joining them together
Where is the interspinous ligament?
Joins the superior and inferior aspects of the spinous process/arch lamina
Where is the ligamentum flavum?
Forms posterior part of spinal canal
Where is the posterior longitudinal ligament?
Forms anterior part of spinal canal
Running along the posterior aspect of all the vertebral bodies
Where is the anterior longitudinal ligament?
Front of the spinal canal
If looking at the vertebrae list the order of the most anterior ligament to posterior ligament:
Anterior longitudinal ligament
Posterior longitudinal ligament
Ligamentum flavum
Interspinous ligament
Supraspinous ligament
What sacral spinal nerves contribute to the lumbosacral plexus forming the sciatic?
S1
S2
S3
What runs through the canal inferiorly through the canal of the sacrum?
Cauda equina
When looking at an anterior posterior view of the spine what are we checking lines up?
The owl eyes (Dark spots of the pedicles)
The owl beaks (Spinous processes)
When looking at a spinal xray from the side on (longitudinal) what are you checking aligns?
Vertebral bodies
No steps
Why are T2 images good at viewing the spine (MRI)?
White is paler/white
Can see how hydrated intervertebral discs are
Can see the CSF very clearly
