N. Typical Lumbars: L1-L4

Question 1

What accounts for the direction of the lumbar curve?

Answer 1

the vertebral body and intervertebral disc have a greater anterior height than posterior height

Question 2

What is the effect of aging on the vertebral body of a lumbar vertebra?

Answer 2

decrease in height, increase in circumference

Question 3

How many joint surfaces are present on the vertebral body of a typical lumbar?

Answer 3

six

Question 4

What muscles may attach to a typical lumbar vertebral body?

Answer 4

psoas major and psoas minor

Question 5

Psoas minor will only attach to the vertebral body of which segments?

Answer 5

T12, L1

Question 6

What is the name given to ligaments that attach the vertebral body to articular process?

Answer 6

transforaminal ligaments

Question 7

What ligaments attach the vertebral body to the transverse process?

Answer 7

corpotransverse ligaments

Question 8

Hoffmann ligaments are identified in which regions along the vertebral column?

Answer 8

cervical — upper thoracic region and lumbar region

Question 9

Cervical — upper thoracic Hoffmann ligaments will attach what structures together?

Answer 9

dura mater to segments above

Question 10

What is the highest level known to demonstrate Hofmann ligaments?

Answer 10

C6

Question 11

What is the proposed function of the cervical — upper thoracic Hofmann ligaments?

Answer 11

resist caudal movement of the dural sac; resist gravitational forces on the dura and cord

Question 12

Lumbar Hofmann ligaments will attach what structures together?

Answer 12

dura mater to lower segmental levels

Question 13

What is the proposed function of the lumbar Hofmann ligaments?

Answer 13

resist cranial movement of the dural sac during flexion

Question 14

What is the proposed function of the proximal root sleeve ligament?

Answer 14

resist displacement of the peripheral nerve system in the intervertebral foramen

Question 15

What osseous conditions of lumbar vertebrae facilitate a spinal tap in this region?

Answer 15

overlap of laminae, shingling, diminishes; overlap of spinous processes, imbrication, diminishes

Question 16

What is the outline of the vertebral foramen of a typical lumbar vertebrae?

Answer 16

triangular

Question 17

Which is the greatest diameter of the vertebral foramen of a typical lumbar?

Answer 17

transverse

Question 18

What part of the CNS is present in the lumbar spine?

Answer 18

the conus medullaris is typically present in the vertebral foramen of L1

Question 19

What part of the PNS is present in the lumbar spine?

Answer 19

the cauda equina is typically present in the vertebral foramina of L2-L4

Question 20

Beginning with L1 transverse process, what is the generic direction and relative length of each succeeding lumbar transverse process?

Answer 20

each transverse process is directed straight lateral and increases in length from L1-L3; L4 then begins to decrease in length

Question 21

What is the name of the elevation near the origin of the lumbar transverse process?

Answer 21

accessory process

Question 22

A styloid process occurs with what frequency and as a result of what condition?

Answer 22

7% occurrence as a result of congenital elongation of the lumbar accessory process

Question 23

What parts of a vertebra are attached via the mammillo-accessory ligament?

Answer 23

the mammillary process and accessory process of the same segment

Question 24

What was believed to be entrapped by mammillo-accessory ligament?

Answer 24

the medial branch of the dorsal ramus of a lumbar spinal nerve

Question 25

What muscle(s) attach to the lumbar accessory process?

Answer 25

longissimus thoracis and intertransversarii

Question 26

What muscles may attach to the transverse process of a typical lumbar vertebra?

Answer 26

psoas major, quadratus lumborum, longissimus thoracis, rotator brevis, rotator longus, and intertransversarii

Question 27

What are the posterior elements of the vertebra?

Answer 27

zygapophysis, lamina, and spinous process

Question 28

What are the anterior elements of the vertebra?

Answer 28

vertebral body and pedicle

Question 29

What is the orientation of the typical lumbar superior articular facet?

Answer 29

backward, upward, medial (BUM); typically concave

Question 30

What is the orientation of the typical lumbar inferior articular facet?

Answer 30

forward, lateral, and downward (FoLD); significant convexity

Question 31

What is the name given to the projection on the lumbar superior articular process?

Answer 31

mammillary process

Question 32

What muscle(s) will attach to the mammillary process?

Answer 32

multifidis and intertransversarii

Question 33

What ligament will attach to the lumbar superior articular process and transverse process?

Answer 33

mammillo-accessory ligament

Question 34

What is the position of the lumbar zygapophysis in adults?

Answer 34

the zygapophysis lies in the saggital plane for L1/L2, L2/L3, L3/L4; the zygapophysis lies in the coronal plane for L4/L5, and L5/S1

Question 35

What name is given to zygapophyses between vertebral couples that lie in the same plane?

Answer 35

joint symmetry

Question 36

What names are given to the condition in which one zygapophysis of a vertebral couple lies in the coronal plane and the other zygapophysis lies in the saggital plane?

Answer 36

joint asymmetry or joint tropism

Question 37

Define or describe joint tropism

Answer 37

the condition in which one zygapophysis of a vertebral couple lies in the coronal plane and the other zygapophysis lies in the sagittal plane

Question 38

What is the name(s) of the condition in which the typical lumbar spinous process increases in length due to the aging process?

Answer 38

Baastrup's syndrome or "kissing spines"

Question 39

What is Baastrup's syndrome?

Answer 39

elongation of the lumbar spinous process as a result of aging

Question 40

What muscles will attach to the typical lumbar spinous process?

Answer 40

latissimus dorsi, serratus posterior inferior, iliocostalis lumborum, longissimus thoracis, spinalis thoracis, multifids, rotator longus, rotator brevis, and interspinalis