back & neck osteology & ligaments Flashcards
(42 cards)
what are the functions of the spinal column?
- support
- protection of spinal cord and nerve roots
- shock absorption (via the intervertebral discs)
- haematopoiesis (vertebrae contain red bone marrow)
what are primary curvatures of the spinal column?
curvatures in the spinal column that happen during fetal development
what is an example of a primary curvature of the spinal column?
- kyphosis - thoracic and sacral curves
what are secondary curvatures of the spinal column & what are 2 examples ?
- curvatures that develop after birth
- cervical lordosis - develops with head control
- lumbar lordosis - develops with upright posture
what are examples of abnormalities in the curvatures of the spinal column?
- excess lordosis and kyphosis
- scoliosis
what are the main parts in the structure of a vertebrae?
- vertebral body - weight bearing part
- spinous process
- transverse process
- superior articular process
- inferior articular process
- pedicles/laminae
- canal (where spinal cord gies through)
describe a typical cervical vertebra (C3-C6)
- body is small & kidney shaped
- triangular vertebral canal
- bifid spinous process - attaches to ligamentum nuchae
what aee the 3 atypical cervical vertabrae?
- C1 (Atlas)
- C2 (Axis)
- C7
Describe the osteology of the atlas (C1)
- No body
- anterior and posterior arch and tubercle
- articular facets - the dens of C2
- has a groove for the vertebral artery
- transverse foramen - allows for neurovascular structures to go through
Describe the osteology of the Axis (C2)
- contains an **odontoid process / dens **
- articular facets
- spinous process is bifid
what is the atlanto-occipital joint?
where, what movement ?
- joint between C1 and the occipital condyles of the skull
- synovial condyloid joint
- movement - nodding
Describe the atlanto-axial joint
- joint between C1 & C2
- synovial pivot joint
- dens of C2 articulates with anterior arch of C1
- allows shaking head mvt
Describe the osteology of a typical thoracic vertebrae
- vertebral body is heart shaped with costal facets
- vertebral canal is round
- spinous process slops inferiorly
- costal facets - to articulate with the ribs
- more defined transverse processes with facets articulates with the tubercle of the rib (bony part on inside of rib)
what are the atypical thoracic vertebrae?
- T1
- T10
- T11
- T12
describe the osteology of T1
- has 1/2 facets on the body for articulation with the head of the ribs
- full superior facet (for 1st rib) & inferior demifacet
- rib 1 articulates with T1
describe the osteology for T10-T12
- single facet on the side of the vertebral body of T10-T12
- these ribs only articulate with their own vertebrae
- no facet on transverse process of T11 and T12
Describe the osteology of the typical lumbar vertabrae
- body is large and kidney shaped
- vertebral canal is small in comparison
- spinal cord ends at L1/L2
- spinous process is horizontak and bulky
which lumbar vertebrae is atypical?
L5
Describe the osteology of L5
- body may be wedge shaped
- transverse process is quite anterior - to the site of the body - attaches to the iliolumbar ligament
- may be fused to sacrum
which vertebrae of the spinal column are fused?
- the sacrum (S1-S5)
- coccyx (C1-C4)
- ie no IV discs between them
what structues of the sacral and coccyx vertebrae make the sacrum look like a wing (ala)?
the transverse processes
describe the osteology of the sacrum
- sacral cornua (inferior articular processes that connects to the coccyx)
- median sacral crest
- posterior sacral foramina
what are the facet joints?
- the joints between the superior and inferior articular facets on adjacent vertebrae (one on top of another)
- small synovial plane joints
is the intervertibral joins a sec or primary cartilaginous joint?
- secondary cartilaginous joints - contains hyaline cartilage and fibrocartilage
