Day 30 (Spondylolisthesis, Intervertebral Foramen: General Characteristics,Contents, Regional Characteristics)

Question 1

What causes type IV spondylolisthesis?

Answer 1

fracture of the neural arch components

Question 2

What are the cause(s) associated with type V spondylolisthesis?

Answer 2

bone diseases such as Paget disease or osteogenesis imperfecta

Question 3

What determines the length of the intervertebral foramen?

Answer 3

the width of the pedicle

Question 4

What is the average height of the intervertebral foramen?

Answer 4

about 13 mm

Question 5

What percent of total vertebral column length does “true” intervertebral foramina height from C2-S1 equal?

Answer 5

40%

Question 6

What percent of total vertebral column length does all intervertebral foramina height from occiput-Co1 equal?

Answer 6

53%

Question 7

What are the generic contents of the intervertebral foramen?

Answer 7

neural tissue, connective tissue, vascular tissue, lymphatic tissue

Question 8

What is the percent of neural tissue in the intervertebral foramen?

Answer 8

from 8 to 50 percent

Question 9

What are medullary feeder arteries?

Answer 9

enlarged radicular arteries which join the arterial vasa corona to provide blood for the spinal cord

Question 10

What is the name of the largest medullary feeder artery?

Answer 10

the artery of Adamkiewicz or the arteria radicalis magna anterior

Question 11

What is the most likely region of the thoracic spine for herniation?

Answer 11

below T8

Question 12

What ligament lies next to the anterior internal vertebral venous plexus?

Answer 12

the posterior longitudinal ligament

Question 13

What ligament lies next to the posterior internal vertebral venous plexus?

Answer 13

the ligamentum flavum

Question 14

What will the intervertebral veins drain into?

Answer 14

the external vertebral venous plexus or Batson’s plexus

Question 15

What is a unique histological feature of the veins of the vertebral column?

Answer 15

they appear to lack valves

Question 16

What size lymphatic vessels lie in the intervertebral foramen?

Answer 16

medium sized lymphatics

Question 17

What type(s) of connective tissue will be present in the intervertebral foramen?

Answer 17

adipose tissue and loose areolar connective tissue

Question 18

What parts of the cervical vertebra will modify the intervertebral foramen?

Answer 18

the lateral groove and uncinate process

Question 19

What happens to cervical nerve roots between their origin from the spinal cord and exit from the intervertebral foramen?

Answer 19

they descend along the spinal cord

Question 20

What is the relationship between aging and cervical spine nerve root characteristics?

Answer 20

the length of the nerve root increases as it descends from its apparent origin on the spinal cord, but the cross-sectional area of the nerve root decreases

Question 21

What is the relationship between aging and cervical spine intervertebral foramen size?

Answer 21

the cross-sectional area diminishes after age 50

Question 22

What are the specific attachment sites for a cervical spinal nerve?

Answer 22

the sulcus for the ventral primary ramus on the costotransverse bar & the vertebral artery

Question 23

What contributes to the anterior boundary of the thoracic intervertebral foramen?

Answer 23

the costocentral joint

Question 24

What are the largest spinal nerves?

Answer 24

L5 and S1 spinal nerves

Question 25

What increases the length of the intervertebral foramen at L5?

Answer 25

lumbosacral tunnel

Question 26

What forms the lumbosacral tunnel?

Answer 26

the lumbosacral ligament, transverse process of L5, and sacral ala

Question 27

What condition is the result of encroachment on the L5 spinal nerve?

Answer 27

the far out syndrome