Basic anatomy of the spine Flashcards
How many cervical vertebrae?
7
How many thoracic vertebrae?
12
How many lumbar vertebrae
5
How many coccygeal vertebrae?
2
Why is C1 not typical?
No spinous process
Why is C2 not typical?
Odontoid process
Why is c7 not typical?
Long spinous process
What is the spine?
Spinal cord and vertebral column
What is the back?
Back of trunk
What I the trunk?
Body minus head and limbs
What is the torso?
trunk
How many vertebrae and nerve roots in the cervical region and why?
7 vertebrae and 8 roots - cervical roots come out above the vertebrae
Normal spinal curves
Cervical lordosis
Thoracic kyphosis
Lumbar lordosis
What cause hunchbacks?
Wedge shaped vertebrae = worsened thoracic kyphosis
When do you form your cervical lordosis?
3 months - you start lifting your head
When do you form your lumbar lordosis?
When you stand up - 1 yo
What is scoliosis?
Lateral curvature of the spine
Where do the vertebral arteries exit the spine?
Transverse foramen
Characteristics of cervical vertebrae
Small body
Short bifid
triangular foramen
Characteristics of thoracic vertebrae
Larger than cervical, heart shaped
Long sharp spinous process
Circular vertebral foramen
Characteristics of lumbar vertebrae
Kidney shaped, triangular vertebral foramen
What is spina bifida?
Neural tube fails to close and contents of spinal canal billow outwards - characteristic tuft of hair on spine
What are the two components of the intervertebral discs?
Filled with nucleus pulpous
Annular fibrosis around edge of disc
What is a slipped disc?
herniation of nucleus pulpous from vertebra when annular fibrosis is fractured
Where does the spinal cord end?
l1/2
What is important to remember about lumbar nerve roots>
Emerge 3 levels above vertebrae :
- Herniation of L3/4 disc would affect dermatome L4
- Fracture L3 affects dermatome everything below L3
Where is the CSF contained?
Dural sack
How to get to flavour ligament
SKin - fat - supraspinous - infraspinous - flavour ligament
Ligaments in back
Supraspinous ligament
Ligamentum flavum
Anterior longitudinal ligament
Posterior longitudinal ligament
