Cervical Spine

Question 1

The vertebral column has three spines.
What are they called?
How many vertebrae in each?

Answer 1

Cervical spine 7
Thoracic spine 12
Lumbar spine 5

Question 2

The spinal cord is nervous tissue and is shorter than the vertebral column.
At which vertebra does it terminate?

Answer 2

L1-2

Question 3

How many cervical vertebrae are there?
How many cervical nerves are there?
Where do the cervical nerves exit relative to the corresponding vertebra?

Answer 3

7 cervical vertebrae
8 cervical nerves
Exit above their vertebrae
(C8 exits above T1)

Question 4

Where do the thoracic nerves exit relative to their vertebrae?
Why?

Answer 4

Thoracic nerves exit below their vertebrae

Because C8 nerve exits above T1 vertebrae so the T1 thoracic nerve must exit below

Question 5

The spinal cord is nervous tissue and is shorter than the vertebral column.
At which vertebra does it terminate?

Answer 5

L1-2

Question 6

How many cervical vertebrae are there?
How many cervical nerves are there?
Where do the cervical nerves exit relative to the corresponding vertebra?

Answer 6

7 cervical vertebrae
8 cervical nerves
Exit above their vertebrae
(C8 exits above T1)

Question 7

Where do the thoracic nerves exit relative to their vertebrae?
Why?

Answer 7

Thoracic nerves exit below their vertebrae

Because C8 nerve exits above T1 vertebrae so the T1 thoracic nerve must exit below

Question 8

When intervertebral discs compress in the cervical spine, which nerve root is compressed?

How is this different to the lumbar spine?

Answer 8

The exiting root is compressed in the cervical spine
(There is no transversing root)

The transversing root is compressed in the lumbar spine