Lecture 1 Vertebral column and spinal cord Flashcards
Four curvatures of the spine? Which are you born with?
Cervical lordosis (ext)
Thoracic kyphosis (flx)
Lumbar lordosis (ext)
Sacral kyphosis (flx)
Born with kyphosis (in flexed position)
C1 and C2 names a structures
C1: Atlas; no spinous process or body
C2: Axis; absorbed body of atlas to form dens
Cervical spinous processes feature
Bifurcated spinous processes (Only on C2-C6)
Thoracic vertebrae important structres
transverse processes articulating facets w/ ribs
Lumbar vertebrae important structures
Has an accessory process on the transverse process and a mamillary process on the superior articulating facet
Center of gravity on the human body
Sacrum S2
Multifidi attachement point
Dorsal surface of sacrum
Piriformis attachment point
Ventral surface of the sacrum
Where do the dorsal/ventral rami exit?
Sacral foramina
How does the sacrum articulate with the coccyx?
Cornu of the coccyx
Atlanto-occipital joint
“Yes” head movement; articulation of superiror articular facet of atlas and occipital condyle
Atlanto-odontoid joint
“No” head movement; transverse ligament of the atlas and the dens of the axis
Atlanto axial joint
Between axis and atlas, no disc between the two
What type of joint are the vertebral bodies and the discs
cartilagenous joints
T1 MRI = ?
FAT1 (only fat is white)
T2 MRI = ?
WW2 (water and fat are both white)
CT Scan = ?
Bones are extremely white, cannot see much other tissue/organs
X - ray = ?
1 view is no view! Converts 3-d structures into 2-d
Name the Spinal ligaments
Anterior Longitudinal ligament (ALL) and Posterior longitudinal ligament (PLL)
PLL = narrow caudally (posterior disc herniation) and broad cranially (tectorial membrane)
Specialized ligaments anterior to tectorial membrane and attachments
Transverse ligament of Atlas: C1 anterior arch
Apical ligament: dens of C2
Alar ligament: diagonal; dens of C2
Functional spinal unit consists of …
2 adjacent vertebral bodies and the intervertebral disc (and their articulations)
Anterior articulation of spinal unit
Vertebral body and disc; carry 70% of stress
Posterior articulation of spinal unit
faceted vertebrae; carry 30% of stress
C3-C7 bodies form what type of joint
Uncovertebral joint
Orientation of facets (cervical, thoracic, and lumbar)
C: 45 degrees
T: oblique laterally
L: oblique medially and almost vertial
Where most, least, and no amount of rotation occurs
Most: C1-C2 atlanto-odontoid joint
Least: lumbar region because of the orientation of facets
No: atlanto occipital joint (C1 and occipital condyle)
Most common disc herniation
Disc injuries are difficult to heal, most common is posterolateral herniation
Afferent vs Efferent
Afferent = info in
Efferent = info out (get the eff out of here)
Central nervous system =
Sensory –> Somatic (muscles, bones, soft tissue) and visceral (internal organs and vessels)
Peripheral nervous system =
Motor –> somatic and visceral
PNS info in (afferent) =
PNS info out (efferent) =
Afferent = sensory
Efferent = Motor
Somatic motor (PNS) =
Skeletal muscles
Visceral motor (PNS) =
cardiac/smooth muscles
Visceral motor subdivisions =
Sympathetic (fight or flight) = 1st cell + preganglionic axon and 2nd cell + postganglionic axon
Parasympathetic (rest and digest) = 1st cell + preganglionic axon and 2nd cell + postganglionic axon
How many axons can a neuron have
Either 0 or 1, but that axon can have over 1000 axon terminals
Satellite cell =
dorsal root ganglion; supporting glia of PNS
Ganglion =
cluster outside CNS
Nucleus =
cluster inside CNS
Describe the binary division of the nervous system
CNS = somatic and visceral sensory
PNS = somatic; and visceral motor (sympathetic and parasympathetic)
Conus medullaris =
Cone shape at end of spinal cord
Cavda equina =
horse tail
Gray matter vs white matter and dorsal vs ventral horn responsibilities
Gray mater = nonmyelinated (slower)
White matter = myelinated (faster)
Dorsal horn = sensory
Ventral horn = motor
Protective Meninges from outside to in
- Dura mater (dura sac)
-Arachnoid mater - pia mater (around spinal cord)
Dura mater forms what?
Filum terminale externum
Pia matter forms what?
Denticulate ligament ( connects pia to cord) and filum terminale internum
Most common herniation in lumbar region
Posteior herniation
Ucinate proccess
C3-C7
