General Organization of Vertebra and Blood Supply Flashcards
What is the general shape of the vertebral body at each region of the spin?
Cervical: Rectangular
Thoracic: Triangular
Lumbar: Reniform (Kidney Shaped)
What is the name given to the compact bone at the superior and inferior surfaces of the vertebral body?
Superior epiphyseal rim, inferior epiphyseal rim
What is the name given to the intermediate part of the vertebral arch where the transverse process and articular processes attach?
The lamina-pedicle junction
What is the generic orientation of the pedicle at each region of the spine?
Cervical: Posterolateral
Thoracic: Posterior, slightly lateral
Lumbar: Posterior
What ligament will attach to the lamina?
The ligamentum flavum
What is the name given to abnormal bone at the attachment site of the ligamentum flavum?
Para-articular process
What classification of bone will para-articular process represent?
Accessory bone
What is the name given to the overlap of LAMINAE seen on an X-ray?
Shingling
What is the name given to the lamina-pedicle junction at the region of the spine?
Cervical: Articular pillar
Thoracic and Lumbar: pars interaticularis
What is the name given to the junction of the vertebral arch - spinus process on lateral X-ray?
The spinolaminar junction
What is the generic orientation of the transverse process or transverse apophysis at each region of the spine?
Cervical: Anterolateral
Thoracic: Posterolateral
Lumbar: Lateral
All non-rib bearing vertebra of the spine retain what equivalent feature?
The costal element
What will cause the transverse process/transverse apophysis to alter its initial direction in the cervical region?
Cervical spinal nerves are pulled forward to form the cervical and brachial nerve plexuses thus remodeling the transverse process to accommodate their new position
What will cause the transverse process/transverse apophysis to alter its initial direction in the thoracic region?
The growth of the lungs remodel the shape of the ribs which in turn push the transverse processes backward.
What is the name given to the joint formed between the articular facets of a vertebral couple?
The zygapophysis
What will form the posterior boundary of a typical intervertebral foramen?
The inferior articular process/post-zygapophysis, the superior articular process/pre-zygapophysis, the capsular ligament, and the ligamentum flavum.
What will form the superior boundary of a typical intervertebral foramen?
The INFERIOR vertebral notch or inferior vertebral incisure
What will form the inferior boundary of a typical intervertebral foramen?
The SUPERIOR vertebral notch or superior vertebral incisure
What will form the anterior boundary of a typical intervertebral foramen?
The vertebral body of the segment above, the vertebral body of the segment below, the intervertebral disc and the posterior longitudinal ligament.
What is the method of calculating the angle of the spinous process/spinous apophysis?
Calculate the angle formed between the undersurface of the spinous process/spinous apophysis and the horizontal plane.
What is the name given to the normal overlap of spinous processes or spinous apophyses as seen on X-ray?
imbrication
What is the orientation of the spinous process/spinous apophysis at each region of the spine?
Cervical: Slight angle inferiorly
Thoracic: Noticeable angle inferiorly
Lumbar: No inferior angle
What is the typical shape/outline of the vertebral foramen at each region of the spinal column/vertebral column?
Cervical: Triangular
Thoracic: Oval
Lumbar: Triangular
Sacrum: Triangular
At what vertebral level will the spinal cord typically terminate?
L1
At what vertebral level will the dural sac typically terminate?
S2
What are the segmental arteries of the cervical spine?
The vertebral artery, ascending cervical artery and deep cervical artery
What are the segmental arteries of the thoracic spine?
The deep cervical artery, superior (highest) intercostal artery, posterior intercostal artery and subcostal artery
What are the segmental arteries of the lumbar spine?
The lumbar arteries, iliolumbar artery, lateral sacral artery and median (middle) sacral artery
What are the segmental arteries of the fifth lumbar vertebra?
The iliolumbar artery, lateral sacral artery and median (middle) sacral artery
What are the segmental arteries of the sacrum?
The iliolumbar artery, lateral sacral artery and medial (middle) sacral artery
What segmental levels are supplied by the vertebral artery?
C1-C6
What segmental levels are supplied by the ascending cervical artery?
C1-C6
What segmental levels are supplied by the deep cervical artery?
C7-T1
What segmental levels are supplied by the superior (highest) intercostal artery?
T1, T2
What segmental levels are supplied by the posterior intercostal artery?
T3-T11
What segmental level(s) is/are supplied by the subcostal artery?
T12
What segmental levels are supplied by the lumbar arteries?
L1-L4
What segmental levels are supplied by the median (middle) sacral artery?
L5, S1-S5 and Coccyx
What segmental levels are supplied by the iliolumbar artery?
L5, S1-S5 and Coccyx
Which vertebra has the greatest number of segmental arteries associated with it?
L5
What are the segmental arteries for L5?
Iliolumbar artery, median (middle) sacral artery and lateral sacral artery
What branch of the segmental arty supplies the vertebra and the paravertebral region?
Dorsospinal Artery
Which artery is primarily observed in the distal part of the intervertebral foramen?
Spinal Artery
Which branch of the dorsospinal artery will penetrate the meniges to enter subarachnoid space?
Spinal artery
What are the branches of the spinal artery?
Osseous arteries, anterior spinal canal artery, posterior spinal canal artery, anterior medullary feeder arter, posterior medullary feeder artery, anterior radicular artery, posterior radicular artery
Which branches of the spinal artery supply the contents of the the epidural space?
Osseous arteries, anterior spinal canal artery, posterior spinal canal artery
What arteries are observed in the epidural space near the posterior longitudinal ligament?
Anterior spinal canal artery and plexus
What arteries are observed in the epidural space near the ligamentum flavum?
Posterior spinal canal artery and plexus
Which branches of the spinal artery supply the contents of the subarachnoid space?
Anterior radicular artery, posterior radicular artery, anterior medullary feeder artery, posterior medullary feeder artery
Which vessel will supply the ventral/anterior nerve rootlet and nerve root?
Anterior Radicular artery
Which vessel will supply the dorsal/posterior nerve rootlets, nerve root and nerve root ganglion?
Posterior radicular artery
Which artery is now said to enlarge and form the medullary feeder artery?
The radicular artery
What is the location and number of medullary feeder arteries present in the adult?
9 anterior and 12 posterior medullary feeder arteries
What is the name given to the artery that lies in front of the spinal cord along its length?
Anterior spinal artery
Is the anterior spinal artery a single, continuous artery along the spinal cord?
NO
As the anterior spinal artery continues along the spinal cord, which arteries unite along its length to give the appearance of a single continuous vessel?
Anterior medullary feeder arteries
The posterior spinal artery is a branch of which artery?
The posterior inferior cerebellar artery
What is the position of the posterior spinal artery relative to the spinal cord?
It lies in the posterolateral sulcus along the spinal cord
Is the posterior spinal artery a single, continuous artery along the spinal cord?
NO
As the posterior spinal artery continues along the spinal cord, which arteries unites along its length to give the appearance of a single continuous vessel?
Posterior medullary feeder arteries
What forms the arterial vasa corona above C3?
Right and left anterior spinal arteries, right and left posterior spinal arteries and 4 communicating arteries
What forms the arterial vasa corona below C6?
A median anterior spinal artery, right and left posterior spinal arteries and 3 communicating arteries
What is the generic name given to the arteries that penetrate the spinal cord?
Intramedullary arteries
What are the intramedullary branches of the arterial vasa corona?
Pial perforating arteries, central/ventral/sulcal/perforating arteries
What arterial vasa corona branches supply gray matter and most of the spinal cord?
ventral/central/sulcal perforating arteries
What intramedullary branches supply about one third of the spinal cord?
Pial perforating arteries
What is the source for pial perforating arteries?
The pial plexus
What is the primary artery supplementing the arterial vasa corona?
Anterior medullary feeders and posterior medullary feeders
What vessels drain the spinal cord?
Pial veins
What will pial veins drain into?
Venous vasa corona
Which vessels form the venous vasa corona?
Right and left anterior longitudinal veins, right and left posterior longitudinal veins and 4 communicating veins
Which vessels will drain the venous vasa corona?
anterior medullary veins, posterior medullary veins
What vessel will drain the dorsal/posterior nerve root ganglion?
Posterior radicular veins
What veins are observed in the epidural space near the posterior longitudinal ligament?
Anterior internal vertebral venous plexus
What venous vessels are identified in the intervertebral foramen?
Intervertebral veins
Identify the meninges of the spinal cord (spinal medulla or medulla spinalis).
Dura mater, Arachnoid mater, Pia mater
What is the name given to the fluid within the epidural space?
Interstitial fluid
Which menigeal space is now thought to be a potential space not an actual space?
subdural space - between the dura mater and the arachnoid mater
Which of the contents of the epidural space are most likely located near or around the posterior longitudinal ligament?
Anterior spinal canal artery & plexus
Anterior internal vertebral venous plexus
Basivertebral vein
Recurrent meningeal/Sinu-Vertebral/Sinus vertebral nerve
Hofmann/anterior dural/ meningovertebral ligaments
What is the name given to the fluid present within the subdural space?
Serous fluid
What is the name given tot the fluid with the subarachnoid space?
Cerebrospinal fluid
What is the name given to the lateral extension of pia mater along the spinal cord?
Dentate (denticulate) ligament
What is the unique feature of veins along the spinal canal?
They lack the bicuspid valve of typical veins.
