Exam 1 Flashcards
What is neuropathy?
*pathology of nerves, pain (paresthesia, anesthesia) that you feel that results from damage to nerve compressed
What type of damage causes neuropathy?
*compressed nerve or viral infection to nerve
What is neuropathy a result of?
*incorrect signal to brain that makes it think its pain (brain interprets it as pain)
What type of pain is neuropathy?
*often deep pain
What are dermatomes involved in?
*outbreaks of certain diseases
How do people get shingles/ where does the virus live?
*they had chicken pox and then the virus migrated into axons of spiral nerves and live there in the spinal ganglion
At what age do people get shingles?
*40’s to early 50s
What can shingles lead to?
*blindness on face or 2nd bacteria infection (rare)
How can you cure shingles?
- resolve in number of weeks, can take antiviral
* zostavex vaccine available
What is post herpetic neuroigia?
*pain remains after shingle sores go away (13% or people)
Can you get shingles more than once?
*yes, but not common
What cushions the spinal cord?
*cerebrospinal fluid
What is inside the vertebral canal?
*spinal cord
Where does the spinal cord end?
*L2 vertebral level
What is held in the lumbar enlargement?
*cell bodies of motor neurons
How many spinal nerves are there?
31
Where can variation in the number of spinal nerve occur?
*sacral region
What is a peripheral nerve?
*every spinal nerve
What is a spinal nerve?
*somatic motor and sensory and visceral motor (has al of these)
What is a named nerve?
*fibers from different spinal segments (ex. Thoracolumbar nerve)
Where is the Dural Sac located?
*L2-S2
What is a plexus?
*fibers from different spinal segments that blend together
What are the 4 plexus of spinal nerves?
*cervical, brachial, lumbar, sacral
Where is the cervical plexus located?
*C1-C4
Where is the brachial plexus located?
*C5-T1
Where is the lumbar plexus located?
*L1-L4
Where is the sacral plexus located?
*L4-S4
What fluid is in the lumbar cistern?
*cerebrospinal fluid
Where does the lumbar cistern go to?
*S2
Where do the cervical and lumbar plexus emerge from?
*cervical enlargement and lumbar enlargement
What is the cauda equine?
*spinal nerve roots (from lumbar and sacral part)
What is the Pia mater bound to and how thick is it?
- tightly bound to neural tissues
* 1-2 cell layers thick
What are meninges?
*CT coverings of CNS
Where is CSF made?
*in ventricle of brain in choroid plexus
Where does CSF circulate?
*in sub-arachnoid place and gets reclaimed in A. granulations
What blends into the epineuron?
*dural root sheath
What covers the arachnoid space and is where CSF flows (circulates around)?
*arachnoid trabeculae
What is the Dura-arachnoid interface (subdural space)?
*potential space (empty) or fluid can fill it up (real space)
What does the dura mater cover?
- very tough, doesn’t stretch much
* covers entire spinal cord and wraps it in dural sheath
What does the dura mater flare and attach to?
- bump of intervertebral foramen
* attached inside vertebral column
How is the spinal cord held?
*lateral by denticulate ligaments
What is the dura mater tightly bound to?
*bone (anchored to skull)
What is the BS to the spinal cord?
*spinal artery (1 anterior and 2 posterior)
The spinal branch ends as?
- radicular artery
* segmental medullary artery
What does the radicular artery supply blood to?
*spinal nerves of cell and spinal cord proper
What supplies the spinal branches of the thoracic region?
*posterior intercostal artery
What supplies blood to the spinal branches of the cervical region?
*vertebral artery, ascending cervical and deep cervical
What supplies the blood to the spinal branches of the lumbar region?
- lumbar artery
* median sacral artery
What supplies the blood to the spinal branches of the sacral region?
*lateral sacral artery
What is the filum terminal externum part of and what does it anchor?
*end of dural sac, anchores it to the coccyx
What is in the filum terminal internum?
*pia mater, and neural tissue
What does the vertebral column do?
*takes weight of head and upper limb and distributes it to vertebrae, protects spinal cord, restrict/allow movement
How many vertebrae are there?
*33
What is the curvature of the cervical, thoracic, lumbar and sacral region?
- C: convex
- T: concave anteriorly
- L: convex
- S: concave
Only primary curvatures are?
*concave
What are primary curvature due to?
*wedge shape of vertebrae (concave anteriorly)
What are secondary curvature due to?
*different growths of vertebrae disk (anterior vs posterior parts
Convex anteriorly is called?
*Lordosis
Where is excessive kyphosis typically found and due to?
- thoracic spine in elderly women
* due to osteoporosis
Where/what is excessive lordosis typically found?
- ant. pelvic tilt
- found in obese people (who lack muscle tone in abdominal)
- temporarily found in pregnancy
What is scoliosis and what causes it?
- left or right slant of spine
* hemivertebrae and imbalance in muscle tone (myopathic)
What are the parts of the vertebral foramen?
*pedicle, lamina, and post. body
What are some things that compress spinal nerves and where are they found?
- osteophytes, herniated disk, osteoporosis
* zygopophyseal joing
Where do spinal nerves originate?
*intervertebral foramen
What passes through the intervertebral foramen?
*spinal branches, fibers that innervate zygopophyseal joing, DRG
What limits spinal flexion?
- ligamentum flavum
* longitudinal ligament
The nucleus pulposus is?
*85% water
What is a fibrocartilage joint?
*intervertebral disc
What is more than half of the vertebrae covered in?
*anterior longitudinal ligament
What is the anterior longitudinal ligament and what does it limit and cover?
- heavy band of CT
- limit of extension
- covers IVD, keeps it from failing
Where are the interspinous/ supraspinous ligaments heaviest in and what do they do?
- cervical region
* limit flexion
The pelvic girdle is there for?
*stability, not designed to move freely though
What links the anterior most halves of hip bone?
*pubic symphysis
What is the anterior part of the thigh for?
*flex hip, extend knee
What is the medial part of the thigh for?
*adduction of lower limb
What is the posterior part of the thigh for?
*extend hip, flex knee
What does the gluteal region do?
- abduct lower limb
What holds down the tendons of dorsiflexors?
*retinacula
The sciatic nerve is divided into 2 division?
*fibular and tibial
What are the BS of the medial comp. of thigh?
*obturator artery, and perforating art
What is the name of an artery that enters a bone?
*nutrient artery
What is the regional BS of the spinal cord?
*lumbar artery
The internal and external vertebral venous plexus goes from?
*sacrum to large veins (in. dural venous sinus) in skull
What drains the brain?
*int. dural venous sinus
What is a valveless network of veins that is probably how prostate cancer spreads to the brain?
*int. dural venous sinus
Where can you access the sacral hiatus route?
*S4-S5
What is the route the needle travels during a lumbar puncture?
*interspinous route (midline route)
Where does the spinal cord end in most people?
*L2
Where should you do a lumbar puncture and where can it never be above?
- L3 or L4
* L2 or above
Why would you obtain a sample of CSF?
*check for infection, diagnosis sub arachnoid hemorrhage, and check pressure
Where would you introduce epidural anesthetic?
*into lumbar cisterne or in around nerve roots (cauda equine, into fat)