Quiz 6: Lecture (Spinal Cord) Flashcards
What is the length and width of the spinal cord?
About 18 inches long; 1/2 inch wide
Where does the spinal cord end between?
Ends between vertebrae L1 and L2
What kind of symmetry does the spinal cord have?
Bilateral symmetry
3 Features of the spinal cord are:
- Grooves divide the spinal cord into left and right
- Posterior median sulcus: on posterior side
- Anterior median fissure: deeper groove on anterior side
How much does the spinal cord weigh?
About 35 grams
How does the spinal cord work?
Any movement has to travel down from the brain through the spinal cord to get to effector muscles to help you move
Is there a physical break between the brainstem and spinal cord?
No
The medulla will be there at the junction of
the cervical spinal cord and the medulla (cervical medullary junction)
Where is the cervical medullary junction located?
the base of the occipital bone where the foramen magnum is
What does foramen magnum mean?
Big hole
Spinal cord comes through foramen magnum and then
cervical vertebrae, thoracic vertebrae, lumbar vertebrae, sacral vertebrae, coccygeal vertebrae
Where does the cylindrical mass of the spinal cord extend to?
It extends down from the base of the skull to around L2
Where is the hard cylindrical mass of the spinal cord going to be?
Around L2
Even at birth, where can the vertebral column end?
It can end as early as L3
What happens to our spinal cord when we flex our back?
It tugs on the spinal cord and it can retreat a little further up the spinal canal as well.
What is the spinal cord going to end as?
Caudate equina
What does cauda equina mean?
horse’s tail
How does the spinal cord transition with floating nerves?
Extending from L2 down to about s2
Nerve cells are not seen below
L2
While nerve cells are not seen below L2, they do extend
external processes
What is the spinal cord surrounded by?
cerebral spinal fluid
Where is the cerebral spinal fluid located?
Cerebral spinal fluid is going through central canal of spinal cord and around the spinal cord
What does sitting slumped forward or laying with back stretched make it easier for physicians to do?
Insert a needle into the spinal cord between L4 and L5
What is the part that physicians insert needles into?
Iliac crest
(Gives a good indicator of where L4 is)
Where do you do a lumbar puncture?
Between L4 and L5
Why may some patients lay down for a lumbar puncture?
Elevate the level of the spinal cord even by a segment
Why do they do the lumbar puncture in the cauda equina?
Less chance of causing damage as you have dangling roots here where they can go in and get the CSF
As they’re going in, which vertebrae are they going into?
Lumbar
What are the 3 types of vertebrae?
Cervical vertebrae, Thoracic vertebrae, Lumbar vertebrae
Where is the cervical vertebrae located?
Neck
Where is the thoracic vertebrae located?
Chest
Where is the lumbar vertebrae located?
Inferior portion of back
What is the appearance of the cervical vertebrae?
Small, oval, curved faces
What is the appearance of the thoracic vertebrae?
Medium, heart-shaped, flat faces; faces for rib articulations
What is the appearance of lumbar vertebrae?
Massive, oval, fat faces
Vertebral foramen of cervical vertebrae
Large
Vertebral foramen of thoracic vertebrae
Medium
Vertebral foramen for lumbar vertebrae
Small
Spinous process of cervical vertebrae
Long, split hip; points inferiorly
Spinous process of thoracic vertebrae
Long, slender, not split; points inferiorly
Spinous process of lumbar vertebrae
Blunt, broad; points posteriorly
Function of cervical vertebrae
Support skull, stabilize relative positions of brain and spinal cord, and show controlled head movement
Function of thoracic vertebrae
Support weight of head, neck, upper limbs, and chest; articulate with ribs to allow changes in volume of thoracic cage
Function of lumber vertebrae
Support weight of head, neck, upper limbs, and trunk
The vertebrae look anatomically _____.
Distinct
Where can you see the foramen magnum (in picture)?
In the cervical vertebrae (where vertebral arteries are running through- giving us blood supply from the heart, going up to spinal cord, then into brain)
Blood is supplied by vertebral arteries on
Either (both) side
Basilar artery will give rise to which artery?
Posterior cerebral artery
By blood going to the cervical cord, meeting at junction between pons and medulla where they will fuse- then with the communicating arteries, what may happen?
Circle of Willis
Which vertebrae do not have transverse streaming?
Thoracic and lumbar vertebrae
How is the thoracic and lumbar vertebrae different from cervical?
Much larger disks, less movement (stacked and taking weight of everything above)
Where is it common to get a herniated/slipped disk?
In the lower vertebrae
Where may a cervical dislocation/subluxation occur?
Cervical spinal cord
What should the composition of the CSF of the spinal cord be?
Fairly constant
What does the CSF composition of the spinal cord being constant make it easier to do?
Diagnose for problems (ex: meningitis)
What are the types of meningitis? Why do we need to determine it?
Bacterial; viral
Will differ on the treatment that the patient will receive
