Lecture 3: The Back

Question 1

How many vertebrae are there in an adult?

Answer 1

33

Question 2

How are the vertebrae allocated in an adult?

Answer 2

7 cervical
12 thoracic
5 lumbar
5 sacral (fuse to become the sacrum)
4 coccygeal that fuse to become the coccyx

Question 3

What movements do the vertebral column allow?

Answer 3

Forward flexion
Lateral flexion
Extension
Rotation

Question 4

What do the lamina and pedicle form?

Answer 4

Vertebral arch

Question 5

What passes through the vertebral foramen?

Answer 5

The spinal cord

Question 6

What do the inferior and superior articular processes form?

Answer 6

A zygopophyseal or facet joint

Question 7

What passes through the intervertebral foramen?

Answer 7

The spinal nerve

Question 8

What are the joints of the vertebral column?

Answer 8

Joint of the vertebral bodies (symphyses)
Joint of the vertebral arches (zygopophoseal/facet)
Atlanto-occipital joint
Atlanto-axial joint

Question 9

What type of joint is found between vertebral bodies?

Answer 9

Secondary cartilaginous joints known as symphyses

Question 10

What are intervertebral discs made of?

Answer 10

An outer annulus fibrosis and an inner nucleus pulposus

Question 11

What type of joint is found between superior and inferior articular facts?

Answer 11

Plane/gliding synovial joints

Question 12

What is the atlanto-occipital joint and where is it found?

Answer 12

A condyloid synovial joint found between the atlas (C1) and occipital bone of the skull

Question 13

What movements does the atlanto-occipital joint allow?

Answer 13

Flexion and extension of the head, as in nodding “yes”

Question 14

What is the atlanto-axial joint and where is it found?

Answer 14

A pivot, synovial joint found between the atlas (C1) and the dens of the axis (C2)

Question 15

What movements does the atlanto-axial joint allow?

Answer 15

Rotation of the head, as in shaking “no”

Question 16

What are the 4 vertebral curvatures?

Answer 16

Cervical, thoracic, lumbar and sacral

Question 17

What are the positions of the vertebral curvatures in a fetus?

Answer 17

They are all concave anteriorly

Question 18

What are the vertebral curvatures known as in a fetus?

Answer 18

Primary curvatures or kyphotic curvatures

Question 19

What changes when a baby can hold their head up?

Answer 19

The cervical curvature has changed to convex anteriorly

Question 20

What changes when a toddler is starting to stand and walk?

Answer 20

The lumbar curvature has changed to convex anteriorly

Question 21

What are the vertebral curvatures known as when they change?

Answer 21

Secondary curvatures or lordotic curvatures

Question 22

What are the curvatures known as in an adult?

Answer 22

Cervical = secondary/lordotic
Thoracic = primary/kyphotic
Lumbar = secondary/lordotic
Sacral = primary/kyphotic

Question 23

What are the 3 pathologies of the curvatures of the vertebral column?

Answer 23

• kyphosis (hunchback)
• lordosis (swayback)
• scoliosis

Question 24

What is kyphosis?

Answer 24

Hunchback, an exaggerated thoracic curvature

common with old age and osteoporosis

Question 25

What is lordosis?

Answer 25

Swayback, an exaggerated lumbar curvature

common in pregnancy and obesity

Question 26

What is scoliosis?

Answer 26

Vertebral column deviates from side to side

Question 27

What are the deep back muscles also known as?

Answer 27

Intrinsic back muscles

Question 28

What do the deep back muscles act on?

Answer 28

Act to maintain posture and control movements of the vertebral column

Question 29

What deep back muscle did we study?

Answer 29

The erector spinae group

Question 30

Which muscles are found in the erector spinae group?

Answer 30

Iliocostalis
Longissimus
Spinalis