Cervical And Thoracic Vertebrae Flashcards
Describe the lower cervical vertebrae (C3-C7)
Small body, forked
Spinous processes, the transverse processes have foramen for vertebral arteries and veins
Describe the anatomy of C1 (Atlas)
No body, large vertebral foramen, articulates with the skull at occipital condyle.
The inferior articular facets articulate with C2 (axis)
Describe anatomy of C2 (axis)
Has a ‘dens’ which projects into the vertebral foramen of the atlas and is held in place by the transverse ligament, damage to dens can cause fatal injury
Describe the atlantaoccipital joint
Connects atlas-occipital
The occipital condyles of the skull sit on the articular fossa and allow for flexion and extension
Describe the atlantoaxial joint
Connects atlas and axis
A highly moveable Trochoidal joint that allows rotation
Describe the facet joints in the cervical region
Synovial plane joints
Superior facets up and back
Inferior facets downwards and forwards
Describe the thoracic vertebrae
Heart shaped with medium sized body
Sharp, downward pointing spinous processes
Body have costal facets for rib articulation
Describe how the ribs articulate with with the thoracic vertebrae
All the ribs articulate with 2 vertebral bodies apart from ribs 1,10,11,12 (own corresponding vertebrae only)
Synovial plane joints
7 attach direct to sternum, 3 to sternum via costal cartilage and 2 floating