Anatomy of the spine

Question 1

What is the natural shape of the spine?

Answer 1

Sigmoid - ‘S’ shaped

Question 2

How many cervical vertebrae are there?

Answer 2

7

C1 - C7

Question 3

How many thoracic vertebrae are there?

Answer 3

12

T1 - T12

Question 4

How many lumbar vertebrae are there?

Answer 4

5

L1 - L5

Question 5

How many sacral vertebrae are there? What is unique about these?

Answer 5

5

But they are fused

Question 6

How many coccyx vertebrae are there? What is unique about these?

Answer 6

4

They are fused

Question 7

How many vertebrae are there in total?

Answer 7

33

Question 8

How many spinal nerves are there?

Answer 8

31

Question 9

Name the cervical vertebrae that have a different structure to the rest.

Answer 9

C1 and C2

Question 10

What is the name given to C1?

Answer 10

Atlas

Question 11

What is the name given to C2?

Answer 11

Axis

Question 12

What is distinctive about thoracic vertebrae?

Answer 12

Spinous process is thinner and more descending

Vertebral foramen is circular

Costal facets are present (for ribs!)

Question 13

What is distinctive about lumbar vertebrae?

Answer 13

Spinous process is thick and broad

Vertebral foramen is triangular

Question 14

What is distinctive about cervical vertebrae?

Answer 14

Presence of transverse foramen

Spinous process is usually bifid

Question 15

What is different about C7?

Answer 15

The spinous process is large - vertebra prominens

Question 16

What travels through the transverse foramina?

Answer 16

Vertebral artery and sympathetic chain

Question 17

What goes through the vertebral foramina?

Answer 17

Spinal cord

Question 18

Name the attachments of the rib to the thoracic vertebra?

Answer 18

Superior costal facet - head of rib

Transverse costal facet - tubercle of rib

Question 19

Name the two parts of intervertebral discs.

Answer 19

Outer - Anulus fibrosus

Inner - Nucleus pulposus

Question 20

What’s the role of intervertebral discs?

Answer 20

Hold vertebrae together, act as shock absorbers

Question 21

What is the anulus fibrosus made of?

Answer 21

Type I and II collagen

Question 22

What is the nucleus pulposus made of?

Answer 22

Soft gel-like substance

Loose fibres suspended in a mucoprotein gel

Question 23

Name the long ligaments of the spine anteriorly to posteriorly.

Answer 23

Anterior longitudinal ligament
Posterior longitudinal ligament
Ligamentum flavum
Supraspinous ligament

Question 24

Name the ligament between the spinous processes of vertebrae.

Answer 24

Interspinous ligament

Question 25

What is the conus medullaris?

Answer 25

The tapered lower end of the spinal cord

Question 26

What level is the conus medullaris found?

Answer 26

L1 or L2

Question 27

What is the cauda equina?

Answer 27

When nerves continue to branch out diagonally after the end of the spinal cord (conus medullaris)

Question 28

What is the filum terminale?

Answer 28

When the Pia mater that surrounds the spinal cord projects directly downwards after the conus medullaris, forming a slender ligament.

Question 29

What do the nerves that make up the cauda equina innervate? M, S & P

Answer 29

Motor: Pelvic organs, lower limbs, internal & external anal sphincter

Sensory: Perineum

Parasymp: bladder

Question 30

What is the function of the filum terminale?

Answer 30

Longitudinal support to spinal cord.