Cervical Spine Flashcards
What is the Atlanto-Occipital Joint and it function?
Condylar Synovial Joint
Permits Flexion and extension of the cranium
Yes motion
Between the occipital condyles and the facets of the atlas (C1)
What is the atlantoaxial joint and its function?
Permits flexion, extension, lateral flexion and rotation of the cervical spin.
Majority of the rotation of the skull occurs at this joint.
What are the intervertebral joints and its function?
Formed by the super and inferior surfaces of a vertebral body and its associated intervertebral discs.
What are the zygapophyseal joints and it function?
Formed by the right and the left superior articular facets of one vertebrae and the right and left inferior articular facets of the adjacent vertebra
C3 Inferior Articular Facets (R&L)
C4 Superior Articular Facets (R&L)
What muscles produce Cervical Flexion?
Sternocleidomastoid
Longus Colli
Scalenes
What muscles produce Cervical Extension?
Splenius Cervicis
Semispinalis Cervicis
Iliocostalis Cervicis
Longissimus Cervicis
Multifidus
Trapezius
What muscles produce Cervical Lateral Flexion and Rotation?
SCM
Scalenes
Semispinalis Cervicis
Iliocostalis Cervicis
Longissimus Cervicis
Levator Scapulae
Multifidus
What is the Alar Ligament and its function?
attaches to the dens of the axis to the occipital condyles
used to resist:
- Flexion
Contralateral sidebending and rotation
assist in resisting sagittal plane translation between the atlas and the occiput
What is the Anterior Longitudinal Ligament (ALL) and its function?
Limits extension of the spine
Reinforces the anterior portion of the intervertebral discs and vertebrae.
What is the open packed position? Close packed position? Capsular Pattern?
Open Packed Position: midway between flexion and extension
Closed Packed Position: Extension
Capsular Pattern: (lateral flexion = rotation) > extension
What is the cruciform ligament?
Has vertical and horizontal portions.
Vertical portion: connects dens of the axis to the foramen magnum.
Horizontal Portion: connects dens to the atlas
Limits: upper cervical flexion and translation of atlas on the axis.
What are interspinous ligaments and its function?
Located between spinous processes:
Limits flexion and rotation of the spine
What are the intervertebral foramina and its function?
Located in the posterior pillar of each vertebral segment
Exit way for spinal nerves and blood vessels.
Size of the foramina increase with:
Flexion and contralateral sidebending
Size of the foramina decrease with:
Extension and ipsilateral sidebending
- Anything that narrows this can lead to nerve root entrapment: arthritic changes, spurring or narrowing
What are intervertebral discs and its functions?
Annulus fibrosus?
Nucleus Pulposus?
Formed by:
Annulus fibrosus: outer layer, dense collagen and fibrocartilage
- firmly attached to the adjacent vertebrae
- provides tensile strength
- m
What are intervertebral discs and its functions?
Nucleus Pulposus?
Nucleus Pulposus: Gel like inner layer
- flexion of the vertebral segment leads to the anterior portion of the disc to be compressed and posterior portion of the disc to be distracted.
