LUMBAR SPINE - ARTHROLOGY Flashcards
The vertebral column
Median and dorsal 33 vertebrae
🔸Cervical- 7
🔸Thoracic- 12. 🔸(24 free vertebrae)
🔸Lumbar-5
Sacral- 5 (fused together to form sacrum)
Coccygeal- 4
(Fused together to form rudimentary tail)
Spinal curvatures
Spine curves when all parts are put together
Primary and secondary curvature is which gives us our normal posture
Cervical curvature – secondary curvature
thoracic curvature – primary curvature
Lumber curvature – secondary temperature
Sacral/coccygeal curvature – primary curvature
Primary Curvature
Thoracic and sacral region primarily for protection there is little or no movement
Thoracic region help to form part of the rib cage- protects lungs
Sacral region help to form part of the pelvic ring – protects pelvic viscera
Secondary curvature
Cervical and lumbar region created by increased anterior thickness in intervertebral discs
- more movements are more likely to be affected by degenerative changes
2 joints at a segment level L2–3
2 joints
Anteriorly :
(Invertebral body +disc)
2nd cartilagineous or Symphyseal joint (mid line of body)
Posteriorly:
Synovial plane or Zygoapophyseal or Facet joint
Superior and inferior facets
Synovial joint
Majority of joints in body
Articular surface = hyaline cartilage
Joint cavity, fibrous capsule, synovial membrane, synovial fluid
Greater reliance on strong ligament to stabilise joint
Range of movement variable
Symphyseal joint
Found in midline of the body
Articular surfaces =
hyaline cartilage
No joint cavity
Bones how together by a fibrocartilaginous plate
Some ligaments hold the bones together
Range of movement = limited degree
Typical lumbar vertebra
L1-4
There are five vertebrae in the lumbar region but L5 is a-typical
(See photo)
Intervertebral disc
24 intervertebral discs and they contribute to a 1/4 of the length of the vertebrae column reason for curvature and spine
Symphyseal joint between intervertebral body and disc
Lumbar discs
Biggest within vertebrae column
10 mm thick
Make up a 1/3 of the height of the vertebral column
Nucleus pulposus
Semi fluid or a ball bearing
Irregularly arranged collagen fibres type 2 3D lattice and a few cartilage cells dispersed in a gel of semi fluid ground substance (hold water within its makeup)
Deformable tissue- can change its shape
Annulus fibrosis
Concentric lamella ( 10–20 layers) of collagen fibres highly organised structure
Within each lamella collagen fibers line parallel to each other at 65–70° angle
Successive layers or a different inclination is to each other i.e. Axa fact provide strength + resilience copes with shearing
Elastic fibres:
1) type l collagen fibres- are in the outermost layer of annulus gives tensile strength
2) type II collagen fibers- inner most layer gives it compressive component
Structure of annulus Is important to maintain the integrity of the intervertebral disc as a whole
Arrangement of annulus fibrosis
Thickenings
Collagen lamella are thicker anteriorly and latterly
finer posteriorly
Disc most likely to fail posteriorly
- If disc prolapse is posteriorly there is chance of spinal-cord entrapment
- If disc prolapse is posterolatterly there is chance of nerve root entrapment
Vertebral End Plates
Structure
Layer of cartilage (0.6-1 mm thick)= hyaline and fibrocartilage
Covers the nucleus but not the entire extent of the annulus fibrosis
Plate is a mixture of hyaline and fibrocartilage:
- Hyaline- closer to vertebral body weaker link when binding disc to body
- Outer most fibres of the annulus fibrosis anchor the intervertebral disc to the adjacent vertebral bodies
- inner surface of end plate is composed of fibrous tissue= inner layers of annulus fibrosis which sweep over and under nucleus fibrosis help to form inner part of vertebral end plate
End-plates are strongly bond to the disks but only weakly attached the vertebral bodies
Vertebral End Plates
Functions
Protect vertebral body from pressure atrophy because the disc has to cope with pressure
Confinees the nucleus fibrosis and annulus fibrosis within their anatomical range
Acts as a semi-permeable membrane for fluid exchange via osmosis
End Plate+Annulus fibrosis
End plate+annulus fibrosis=
Ensures the nucleus fibrosis is completely contained within the intervertebral disc
Nutrition of the disc
Discs have a relatively low metabolic rate
Peripheral part of annulus is supplied by adjacent blood vessels
Majority of disk relies on DUFFUSION from blood vessels within the adjoining cancellous vertebral bodies
Diffuses through end plate and into disc