Anatomy -- Spine Flashcards
5 divisions of the vertebral column
- Cervical Spine
- Thoracic Spine
- Lumbar Spine
- Sacrum
- Coccyx
Number of vertebrae of cervical spine
7 (C1 - C7)
Number of vertebrae of thoracic spine
12 (T1 - T12)
Number of lumbar vertebrae
5 (L1 - L5)
Number of vertebrae in sacrum
5 (S1 - S5)
NOTE: Fused in adults
Number of vertebrae in cocyx (tailbone)
4
NOTE: Variation may occur (i.e. 3 or 5), but usually treated as a single entity anyway
Define lordosis
Normal curvature of cervical and lumbar portions of spine
Define kyphosis
Normal curvature of thoracic and sacral portions of the spine
Example of a condition that can cause exaggerated lordosis or kyphosis
“Hunchback” = hyperkyphosis
Example of acondition that can cause loss of lordosis or kyphosis
Muscle spasm –> loss of lordosis
Define scoliosis
Abnormal curvature of the spine laterally
Most common cause of scoliosis in adolescents
Idiopathic
Most common cause of scoliosis in elderly
Degenerative
7 parts of a typical verebra
- Vertebral body
- Verebral arch
- Pedicle
- Lamina
- Inferior articular process
- Transverse process
- Spinous process
- Superior articular process
2 vertebra that are NOT typical vertebrae
C1 and C2
Function of vertebral body
Short cylindrical bone that supports weight
Function of the vertebral arch
Encloses the vertebral foramen –> when stacked with other vertebrae, this creates the spinal canal
Indentations of the pedicles
Superior and inferior vertebral notches
What forms the intervertebral or neural foramen
Inferior notch of one vertebra and the superior notch of the vertebra below when stacked
Function of the intervertebral/neural foramen
Exit for the spinal nerves arising from the spinal cord
Function of spinous process
Act as a point of attachment for various ligaments and muscles
Function of transverse processes
Point of attachment for ligaments and deep back muscles
Alternative name for articular processes
Zygapophyses
What forms the facet joint?
Each articular process has an articular facet –> Inferior facet of one vertebra and the superior facet of the vertebra below
Function of the angle of the facet joint
Prevent anterior slippage of one vertebra on another
Define pars interarticularis
The bony area between the two articular processes
Type of vertebra: C1
Atlas
Describe the form of the atlas (C1)
Ring-shaped vertebra without a body or spinous process
Function of C1 (atlas)
Support the skull
Type of vertebra: C2
Axis
Describe the form of the axis (C2)
Dens (odontoid process) protrudes superiorly from the body
Describe the movement of C1 against C2
C1 rotates around the dens –> shaking head side-to-side
Function of the transverse ligament of the atlas
Help appose dens against C1 (and also separates the dense from spinal cord)
Purpose of foramen in transverse processes of cervical spine. Exception?
Passage of the vertebral arteries
Except C7 –> foramen allows passage of small veins
Describe the spinous processes of C2 - C6
Bifid
Describe the spinous process of C7
Long (can feel bump at the back of the back of the neck)
Where do vertebral arteries originate from and what do they become?
Arise from the subclavian artery –> merge to form the basilar artery (feeds part of the brain)
10 parts of the atlas (C1) from a superior view
- Posterior arch
- Posterior tubercle
- Superior articular facet
- Facet for dens
- Anterior tubercle
- Anterior arch
- Transverse foramen
- Transverse process
- Lateral masses
Identify the 8 parts of the atlas from a lateral view
- Superior articular facet
- Anterior tubercle
- Transverse foramen
- Inferior articular facet
- Transverse process
- Posterior arch of atlas
- Posterior tubercle
- Groove for vertebral artery
Identify the 9 parts of the axis (C2) from a superior view
- Spinous process
- Vertebral arch
- Inferior articular process
- Transverse foramen
- Anterior articular facet
- Superior articular facet
- Transverse process
- Dens
- Vertebral foramen
Identify the 10 parts of the axis (C2) from a lateral view
- Anterior articular facet
- Superior articular facet
- Transverse foramen
- Body
- Transverse process
- Inferior articular facet
- Vertebral arch
- Spinous process
- Dens
- Posterior articular facet
Joint between the facet of the dens on C1 and the dens of the axis (C2)
Median atlantoaxial joint
Joint between a typical inferior articular process and superior articular process
Zygaophyseal joint
What part of the thoracic vertebrae allows for articulation with ribs
Costal facets on side of each body and on each transverse process
Shape of the bodies of T5 - T8 when viewed superiorly
Heart-shaped
Identify the 11 parts of a typical cervical vertebra from a superior view
- Vertebral foramen
- Lamina
- Pedicle
- Transverse process with sulcus for spinal nerve
- Body
- Anterior tubercle
- Transverse foramen
- Posterior tubercle
- Superior articular facet
- Vertebral arch
- Spinous process
Identify the 9 parts of a typical cervical vertebra from a lateral view
- Transverse foramen
- Superior articular process
- Superior articular facet
- Inferior articular process
- Spinous process
- Inferior articular facet
- Sulcus for spinal nerve
- Body
- Transverse process
Identify the 10 parts of a typical thoracic vertebra from a superior view
- Costal facet on transverse process
- Spinous process
- Lamina
- Transverse process
- Superior articular facet
- Superior vertebral notch
- Body
- Superior costal facet
- Inferior costal facet
- Pedicle
Identify the 10 parts of a typical thoracic vertebra from a lateral view
- Body
- Superior costal facet
- Superior vertebral notch
- Superior articular facet
- Transverse process
- Costal facet on transverse process
- Inferior vertebral notch
- Spinous process
- Inferior articular facet
- Inferior costal facet
Define sacralization
Fusion of one or both L5 transverse processes to S1
Identify the 10 parts of a typical lumbar vertabra from a superior view
- Spinous process
- Superior articular facet
- Mammilary process
- Costal process
- Superior articular process
- Superoir vertebral notch
- Body
- Vertebral foramen
- Vertebral arch
- Accessory process
Identify the 8 parts of a typical lumbar vertebra from a lateral view
- Superior articular process
- Mammillary process
- Costal process
- Spinous process
- Inferior articular facet
- Inferior articular process
- Inferior vertebral notch
- Body
When do the vertebrae of the scarum start to fuse?
Around 18 years of age
Result of fusion of sacral vertebrae
Creation of a single triangular bone –> transverse lines