General structure of Lumbar joints, ligaments and intervertebral disc

Question 1

How many vertebrae are there within the vertebral column?

Answer 1

33

Question 2

What joints connect the vertebrae in the vertebral column

Answer 2

synovial joints

Question 3

What are the 5 regions of the vertebral column?
And how many vertebrae are present in each region?
(list from top to bottom)

Answer 3

• Cervical (7)
• Thoracic (12)
• Lumbar (5)
• Sacrum (5, fused)
• Coccyx (4, fused)

Question 4

What are the functions of the vertebral column?

Answer 4

• Protects the spinal cord
• Supports the weight of the body above the pelvis
• Forms the central axis of the body
• Facilitates in posture and movement

Question 5

What structure is only present in the Cervical vertebrae?

Answer 5

Foramen transversarium

Question 6

What structure are only present in Thoracic vertebrae?

Answer 6

superior articular facets facing posteriorly as they’re present to articulate with the ribs.

Question 7

What structure are only present in Lumbar vertebrae?

Answer 7

Superior articular facets facing medially

Question 8

How do the joints join the individual vertebrae?

Answer 8

• 2 joints in total
• 1 Between vertebral bodies, where adjacent vertebrae are joined by intervertebral discs. This is a type of cartilaginous joints, known as a symphysis.
• The other joint is between the vertebral arches, by the articulation of superior and inferior articular processes from adjacent vertebrae. It is a synovial type joint.

Question 9

The fibrocartilaginous disc has 2 parts.

• What are they called, and what are they like/ describe them.

Answer 9

• Nucleus pulposus
  Toothpaste like structure, it contains a few cartilage cells and collagen type 1. The fluid nature of this allow it to be deformed but the volume cannot be compressed, so when weight is applied it reduces in height and exerts pressure on the anulus.
• Anulus fibrosis
  The outer part of the disc, and is highly ordered lamina of collagen type 1, Thick anteriorly and more tightly packed posteriorly, this lattice construction gives the disc its strength and ability to resist deformation from the PA by the vertebral body, each change in the direction squishes the disc, and this is dispersed in the lamina of the anulus.

Question 10

What are the end plates of the discs?

Answer 10

Consist of hyaline cartilage, lies between the nucleus pulposus and the cortical bone of the body.

The proximal fibres of the anulus insert into the end plate and the distal fibres insert into the vertebral body

Question 11

What is the function of the intervertebral discs?

Answer 11

• Permits flexibility of the spine.
• Acts as a shock absorbers.
• Supports curvature of the spine.

Question 12

Which ligaments are present throughout the vertebral column?

Answer 12

• Anterior longitudinal ligament
• Posterior longitudinal ligament
• Ligamentum flavum
• Interspinous ligament
• Supraspinous ligament
• Intertransverse ligament (but only well developed in the lumbar region)

Question 13

Anterior longitudinal ligament

Answer 13

Attached to the occipital bone and upper part of the sacrum, and attaches to the anterior body of the vertebrae.

Question 14

Posterior longitudinal ligament

Answer 14

Lies inside the vertebral canal, extends from axis to the sacrum, attaching to the intervertebral discs and the margins of the vertebral bodies

Question 15

Ligamentum flavum

Answer 15

Connects the laminar adjacent vertebrae

Question 16

Interspinous ligament

Answer 16

Connects the spine of the adjacent vertebrae

Question 17

Supraspinous Ligament

Answer 17

attaches the tips of spinous processes from C7 - sacrum.

Becomes ligamentum nuci in cervical region

Question 18

Iliolumbar ligament

Answer 18

Joins ilium to lumbar vertebrae.

Question 19

What are the contents of the Vertebral canal?

Answer 19

• Epidural space
• Spinal meninges
• Spinal cord with its nerve roots
• Spinal artery
• Transforaminal ligaments

Question 20

Reminder

Answer 20

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