I. Vertebral Column (The Vertebral Column, Ribs And Sternum) Flashcards
Protects, supports, and acts as a flexible, slightly compressible rod through which the propelling force generated by the pelvic limbs is transmitted to the rest of the body
Vertebral cloumn
Basic movements (4):
◦ Flexion or dorsal arching of the spine
◦ Extension, straightening, or ventral arching of the spine
◦ Lateral flexion and extension
◦ Rotation
VC has Approximately __ irregular bones
50
Parts of the VC (5)
CERVICAL
THORACIC
LUMBAR
SACRAL
CAUDAL / COCCYGEAL
how many bones;
C_ T_ L_ S_ Cd_
C7 T13 L7 S3 Cd20
- Protect the spinal cord and roots of the spinal nerves
- Aid in the support of the head and the internal organs
- Furnish attachment for the muscles governing body movements
Function of the vertebrae
Vertebrae parts;
- Body / centrum
- Vertebral arch / neural arch
-consists of R and L pedicles and laminae - Processes for muscular or articular
connections (transverse, spinous, and
articular)
Constricted centrally
Has convex cranial articular surface
Has centrally depressed caudal articular
surface
Intervertebral fibrocartilage / disc
Body
bulges freely when the confining pressure of the outer portion, or fibrous ring, is released
Center: pulpy nucleus
Has 2 pedicles and 2 laminae
Arch + body = vertebral foramen
Concurring vertebral foramina forms
vertebral canal
R and L intervertebral foramina
Vertebral arch/Neural arch
Through these pass the spinal nerves, arteries and veins
R and L intervertebral foramina
*from the vertebral arch
Processes (3)
Spinous process
Transverse process
Articular process
In the cervical region, there is the presence of transverse foramen
Transverse process
Articular process (2)
◦ Cranial process / prezygapophysis
Faces craniodorsally
◦ Caudal process / postzygapophysis
Faces cranioventrally
Cranial articular surface
Caudal articular surface
Vertebral foramen
Intervertebral foramina
Transverse foramina
Atlas
Axis
3rd, 4th,5th cervical vertebrae
6th cervical vertebra
7th cervical vertebra
Cervical vertebrae
◦ Articulates with the occipital condyles of the skull
◦ Joint movement is flexion and extension
◦ “yes joint”
Cranial articular surface
◦ Joint movement is rotation
◦ “no joint”
Caudal articular surface
◦ The spinal cord passes through this foramen: the collective vertebral foramina are referred to as the vertebral canal, or spinal canal.
Vertebral foramen
also called the neural foramen, is the opening between the vertebrae through which spinal nerve roots travel and exit to other parts of the body.
Intervertebral foramina
◦ The _____ of cervical vertebrae is an opening that is occupied by the vertebral artery and vein in the first six vertebrae and only the vertebral vein in the seventh.
Transverse foramina
◦ 1st cervical vertebra, atypical
◦ Modified articular process
◦ Lack of spinous process
◦ Reduction of its body
◦ Lateral parts are thick and strong, forming lateral masses
Atlas
◦ 2nd cervical vertebra
◦ Has elongated, bladelike, dorsal spinous process
◦ Has a cranioventral peglike eminence called dens or odontoid process
Axis
◦ Differ slightly from each other
◦ Transverse processes of the 5th cervical vertebra are the shortest
3rd, 4th,5th cervical vertebrae
◦ Possesses a higher spine than the 3rd, 4th, and 5th
◦ Expanded plate-like transverse processes
6th cervical vertebra
◦ Lacks transverse foramina
◦ Its spine is highest among all cervical vertebrae
7th cervical vertebra
13 thoracic vertebrae
The bodies of the thoracic vertebrae are shorter than those of the cervical or lumbar region
Possesses a cranial and caudal costal fovea or demifacet up to 11th thoracic vertebra
◦ 11th thoracic vertebra lacks caudal demifacets
Spinous process – most conspicuous feature of the first 9 thoracic vertebrae
The spine of the 1st thoracic vertebra is more massive than the others, but is about the same length
Thoracic vertebrae
Anticlinal vertebra (TV) =
11th thoracic vertebra
◦ small, knoblike eminences which project dorsally from the transverse processes (TV)
Mammillary processes / metapophyses
◦ Appears mid-thoracic up to the 5th or 6th lumbar vertebra (TV)
Accessory processes / anapophyses
Have longer bodies than thoracic vertebrae
Body of 7th lumbar vertebra is as
approximately long as the 1st
The spinous processes are highest and most massive in the mid-lumbar region.
The transverse processes are longest in the mid-lumbar region.
◦ Can be palpated in emaciated animals
Accessory processes are well developed on the 1st 3 or 4 lumbar vertebrae, and absent on the 5th or 6th.
Lumbar vertebrae
Body of the 1st segment is larger than the bodies of the other 2 segments combined
Sacral vertebrae
Dorsal surface presents the _____ – fused 3 spinous processes (SV)
median sacral
crest
The body of the 1st vertebra is as wide as it is long
Vertebral arch is best developed in the 1st coccygeal segment
Hemal arches are V or Y-shaped separate bones that protect the median coccygeal artery
Coccygeal Vertebrae
◦ Articulate with 4th-6th coccygeal vertebrae
◦ Hemal processes
median coccygeal artery
The blood supply to the tail is
also of interest because __% of
heat loss in the rat occurs via the __.
20
tail
