Back Powerpoints Flashcards
How many vertebrae are there total? How many are moveable? How many are fixed?
33; 24; 9
How many cervical vertebrae are there? Thoracic? Lumbar? Sacral? Coccygeal?
7; 12; 5; 5; 4
When the 5th lumbar vertebrae is partly or completely incorporated into the sacrum, it is called?
Sacralization
What can potentially happen when sacralization of the 5th lumbar vertebrae occurs?
L4/L5 level can degenerate, producing painful symptoms
What type of joint are vertebral joints?
Secondary cartilaginous joint
What are intervertebral discs?
Resilient fibrocartilaginous structures
Where are intervertebral discs located?
In the pre sacra vertebrae (C2 to S1)
-Note: no discs between occiput and C1, C1 and C2, sacrum or coccyx
What role do intervertebral discs play?
- Strongest connection between vertebrae
2. Important for shock absorption
What type of joint is the zygapophyseal joint? Where is it locate?
Gliding/sliding/planar synovial type; posterior connection between vertebrae (facet joints; C1-S1)
What are the ligaments that extend the length of the vertebral column?
- Anterior longitudinal ligament
- Posterior longitudinal ligament
- Ligamentum flavus
- Interspinous ligaments
- Ligamentum niche
- Supraspinous ligament
- Intertransverse ligaments
Located on the anterior ⅓ to ½ of the anterior surface of the body of the vertebrae; runs the whole length of the vertebral column from the sacrum, to the C1 anterior tubercle, to the occipital bone of the skull, anterior to the foramen magnum
Anterior longitudinal ligament
Is the anterior or posterior longitudinal ligament broader and stronger?
Anterior
What is the function of the anterior longitudinal ligament? what movement of the vertebral column does it limit?
Maintain stability of joints btwn vertebral bodies; extension
The anterior longitudinal ligament is firmly attached to the ________ and the ______ of the vertebral bodies
Intervertebral disks; periosteum of the vertebral bodies
wraps around ⅓ to ½ of posterior surface of vertebral body; runs along posterior aspect of the vertebral bodies within the vertebral canal; thicker thank all ligs., but narrower and weaker
Posterior longitudinal ligament
Where does the posterior longitudinal ligament attach to?
Sacrum to C2, and continuous with tectorial membrane, which attaches to the occipital bone on internal part of foramen magnum (C1 does not have a body, so it skips over C1 and attaches to tectorial lig.)
Which direction do most disc herniations occur?
Posterolateral (post. long. lig. protects spinal cord)
What is the function of the posterior longitudinal ligament? what movement of the vertebral column does it limit?
Helps prevent posterior protrusion of the nucleus pulpous of the intervertebral discs; flexion
Yellow ligament made up of elastin; located between adjacent vert on the vert arch
Ligamentum flavum
What is the function of ligamentous flavum?
- Maintain curvature of spine
2. pulls spine back into position after flexion
Located between adjacent spinous processes; not very strong, wispy fibers, thin and membranous
Interspinous ligament
Lig. attached to tips of spinous processes from C7 to sacrum; strong ligament
Supraspinous ligament
Superior extension of supraspinous ligament; located on spinous processes from inion to C7
Ligamentum nuchae
Ligs. located between adjacent TVPs; thin, not very strong
Intertransverse ligaments
What is the primary function of the body of the vertebrae?
Bear weight; support head and body weight
What is the function of the vertebral arch?
Protect the spinal cord from injury
What is contained in the vertebral canal?
- Spinal cord
- Meninges
- Nerve roots
- Blood vessels
Where are dorsal and ventral roods located? dorsal root ganglia? spinal nerve?
in the vertebral foramen; in the intervertebral foramen; outside intervertebral foramen
What serve as attachment sites for muscles and ligaments to facilitate and help movement of the vertebrae
Processes
Where do articular processes price from?
Junction of the lain and pedicle
Processes help prevent ________ moving of an upper vertebrae on a lower one, especially thoracic and lumbar regions
forward/anterior
What motions do articular processes allow?
Flexion and extension and varying degrees of bending and rotation in the different regions of the spine
What are the main distinguishing characteristics of cervical vertebrae?
- Transverse foramen
- Bifid spinous proceses
- Triangular vertebral foramen
What travels through the transverse foramen?
The vertebral artery
What does the vertebral artery supply?
- Rostral spinal cord
- Brainstem
- Cerebellum
- Posterior cerebral cortex
The vertebral artery [does/does not] travel through the transverse foramen of C7.
Does not; if a TV foramen is present, small accessory vertebral arteries travel through it
Vertebrae with no spinous process and no body; supports the scull; superior articular facets are kidney-shaped, concave, and articulate with occipital condyles of the skull
Atlas or C1
Atlas rotates on the superior articular facets of this bone; the dens is part of this bone
Axis or C2
What is the dens held in place by?
Transverse ligament
True or False:
The skull and atlas rotate on axis separately
False; they rotate as a unit
How is C7 distinguishable?
Long spinous process
What shape are middle thoracic vert.’s vertebral foramen? shape of the body?
Circular; heart-shaped
How are thoracic vertebral superior articular processes oriented? would this restrict any movements?
Face posterior and slightly upward; lateral bending, flexion/ extension, rotation, anterior/posterior shift
How are lumbar vertebrae distinguishable?
- Squared off spinous processes
- Larger bodies than cervical and thoracic
- Oval vertebral canal
- Articular facets facing each other in sagittal plane (can flex and extend, limits rotation)
Where does the spinal cord end and caudal equine begin?
L1/L2 level
The 4 transverse lines on the ventral surface of the sacrum indicate where fusion of the vertebrae occurred after the ____ year.
20th
Inverted V-shaped structure on the dorsal surface of the sacrum, formed on each side by the sacral cornua.
Sacral hiatus
Supports the vertebral column, forms the posterior part of the pelvis
Sacrum
How many ribs are there usually on each side of the thorax?
12
What are true ribs? which ribs are true ribs?
Ribs that attach to the sternum through that ribs own costal cartilage; 1-7
What are false ribs? which ribs are false ribs?
Attach to the sternum through costal cartilage of other ribs; 8-10, sometimes 11 and 12
What are floating ribs? which ribs are floating ribs?
Ribs that don’t attach to costal cartilage at all; 11 and 12
What muscles are included in the extrinsic superficial group? extrinsic intermediate group?
Superficial: Trapezius, Latissimus Dorsi
Intermediate: Serratus Posterior Superior, Serratus Posterior Inferior
What muscles are included in the deep superficial group? Intermediate group (broad term)?
Deep: Splenius Capitis, Splenius Cervicis
Intermediate: Erector spinal
What muscles are included in the transversospinalis muscles? what layer of the intrinsic m.’s of the back do they have? what other muscles are included in this layer?
Semispinalis capitis/cervicis/thoracis, Multifidus, Rotatores; Deep layer; Intertransversarii, interspinalis, levator costarum
In the intrinsic intermediate group, what muscles are part of the medial column, the intermediate column, and the lateral column?
Medial: Spinalis cervicis/thoracis
Intermediate: Longissimus capitis/cervicis/thoracis
Lateral: iliocostalis cervicis/thoracis/laborum
What is contained in the suboccipital triangle?
Vertebral artery and suboccipital nerve
What is the roof of the suboccipital triangle?
Semispinalis capitis m.
What is the floor of the suboccipital triangle?
Posterior antlato-occipital membrane and the posterior arch of C1
What are the borders of the suboccipital triangle?
Superomedial border: Rectus capitis posterior major
Inferolateral border: Obliquus capitis inferior
Superolateral border: Obliquus capitis superior
What type of joint is the atlanto-occipital joint? how many DOF?
Condyloid synovial joint; 2
extend from anterior and posterior arches of atlas to the anterior and posterior margin of the former magnum
Atlanta-Occipital membrane
What ligaments make up the cruciate ligament neck/head
- Transverse lig of the atlas
2. Superior and inferior longitudinal bands
Strong band between tubercles on the medial sides of the lateral masses of the atlas; holds the dens in place against anterior arch of atlas
Transverse Lig
Attach to the the occipital bone superiorly and the body of axis inferiorly; connect occipital, C1 and C2
Superior and inferior longitudinal bands of the cruciate lig
Ligs. from dens to lateral margins of foramen magnum; round cords and thick as pencils; check lateral rotation and side to side movements of the head; attach skull to axis
Alar ligs
Superior continuation of posterior long. lig.; attaches to body of axis and internal surface of occipital bone; covers alar and cruciate ligaments
Tectorial membrane
What are the 3 joints in the AAJ? What type of joints are they?
- Medial joint between dens and anterior arch; Pivot type synovial joint
- 2 lateral joints between superior and inferior articulating facets; planar type synovial joint
Lig. from tip of dens to internal surface of occipital bone
Apical lig of the dens
What limits movement of the vertebral column?
- Intervertebral discs
- Resistance from muscles and ligaments in the back
- Shape of the zygapophyseal joints and the tension of their respective joint capsules
