General Spine (Back and Vertebral Column) Flashcards
Back functions
-Support, movement, protection
-Supports the body’s weight, transmit forces, carry & positioning of the head, and brace & help maneuver the upper limbs
Which vertebral curvatures are primary and secondary?
-Primary (concave anteriorly): Thoracic and sacral/coccygeal
-Secondary (concave posteriorly): Cervical and lumbar
What is the main purpose of secondary curvatures?
-They bring the center of gravity into a vertical line
-Allows BW to be balanced over vertebral column so as to minimize energy expenditure w/maintaining upright bipedal stance
Extrinsic vs intrinsic muscles (type, location, innervation)
Extrinsic- move the UL (superficial) & ribs/thoracic wall (intermediate); innervated by the anterior rami of spinal nerves
Intrinsic- maintain posture & move vertebral column (flexion, ext, lateral flexion & rotation); Deep & innervated by posterior rami of spinal nerves; support and move vertebral column, participate in head movements
Back/vertebral column protects what?
CNS (brain and spinal cord) & PNS (cranial nerves and spinal nerves)
What does the vertebral column & associated soft tissues contain?
Spinal cord & proximal parts of the spinal nerves
Bones of the vertebral column?
-C1-C7
-T1-T12
-L1-L5
-S1-S5
-3-4 fused coccygeal vertebra
Two major joints between vertebrae?
-Symphyses between vertebral bodies; Each symphysis includes an intervertebral disc (2)
-Synovial (facet) joints between articular processes (4; two above and two below)
What is the symphysis (disc) made of?
Nucleus pulposus and Annulus fibrous
Superficial group of extrinsic muscles
Trapezius, levator scapulae, rhomboid minor and major, latissimus dorsi
Intermediate group of extrinsic muscles
Serratus posterior superior and inferior muscles
Intrinsic group of muscles
Suboccipital, splenius, erector spinae muscles (longissimus, iliocostalis, spinalis)
3 protective layers of the SC? Where is the CSF found?
-Dura mater, arachnoid mater, pia mater
-In subarachnoid space between arachnoid and pia mater
How many pairs of spinal nerves are there?
- 31 pairs emerge from the vertebral canal between pedicles
-8 pairs c/s
-12 pairs t/s
-5 pairs l/s
-5 pairs sacral
-1 coccygeal
What is transmitted in anterior and posterior roots?
-Anterior: transmit motor signals
-Posterior: return sensory signals
Root vs Rami
-Root= connection of spinal nerve w/SC
-Rami> spinal nerve> root
Posterior vs Anterior ramus
-Posterior- smaller, innervates the back
-Anterior- larger, innervates most regions of the body except the head; typically innervated by cranial nerves; form somatic plexuses (cervical, brachial, lumbar, and sacral); Major visceral components of PNS (sympathetic trunk & prevertebral plexus)
T/F: Spinal cord extends the entire length of vertebral canal
False
Where do spinal nerves originate from?
Originate from spinal cord at increasingly oblique angles from C1 to Co
Cauda equina is formed by what?
Lumbar and sacral nerve roots
Where do spinal nerves exit? How are they formed?
-Exit the vertebral canal laterally through an intervertebral foramen
-Formed between adjacent vertebral arches
Where does the SC end?
Between T12 and L2; Doesn’t extend the entire length of vertebral canal
