RA3 Spine Anatomy Flashcards
Label the 4 curvatures of the spine:
- Name
- Primary or secondary curvature
- Cervical curvature (secondary)
- Thoracic curvature (primary)
- Lumbar curvature (secondary)
- Sacral/coccygeal curvature (primary)
How many vertebrae is the spine made up of?
33 vertebrae
Label the 5 regions of the vertberal colum:
1. Name
2. Number of vertebrae
Label the parts of a typical vertebra
- Vertebral body
- Vertebral arch
- Vertebral foramen
- Pedicle
- Lamina
- Spinous process
- Transverse process
- Superior and inferior articular processes
- Superior and inferior notches
Label the 5 regions of the vertberal colum:
1. Name
2. Number of vertebrae
Extrinsic vs intrinsic muscles:
1. What muscle group (superficial, intermediate, deep)?
2. What structures do they move?
3. What type of spinal nerve are they innervated by?
Extrinsic muscles:
1. Superficial and intermediate groups
2. Upper limbs, thoracic wall/ribs
3. Anterior rami
Intrinsic muscles:
1. Deep group
2. Back, vertebral column, head
3. Posterior rami
Label the 3 layers of the meninges surrounding the spinal cord
- Pia mater: innermost membrane
- Arachnoid mater: borders the subarachnoid space, which contains cerebrospinal fluid
- Dura mater: thickest, outermost membrane
How many pairs of spinal nerves are there? How many of each type?
31 pairs:
- 8 cervical (C1-C8)
- 12 thoracic (T1-T12)
- 5 lumbar (L1-L5)
- 5 sacral (S1-S5)
- 1 coccygeal (Co)
What do the posterior/dorsal and anterior/ventral ramus innervate?
Posterior/dorsal ramus: innervates the back (epaxial muscles)
Anterior/ventral ramus: innervates most other muscles of the body (hypaxial muscles) except the back and head
Epaxial vs hypaxial muscles
1. Location
2. Innervated by?
Epaxial muscles:
1. Located on the ventral side of the body (i.e. back muscles)
2. Innervated by the ventral ramus
Hypaxial muscles:
1. Located on the dorsal side of the body (i.e. other muscles besides the back muscles)
2. Innervated by the dorsal ramus
Where in the vertebral column does the spinal cord typically end?
Between L1 and L2
Cervical vs thoracic vs lumbar vertebrae:
1. Size/shape of body
2. Size/shape of vertebral foramen
3. Size/shape of spinous process
4. Structure of transverse process
Cervical vertebrae (except C1 atlas and C2 axis):
1. Body: small, square shaped
2. Vertebral foramen: triangular
3. Spinous process: short, bifid
4. Transverse proess: has foramen transversarium
Thoracic vertebrae:
1. Body: medium, heart-shaped
2. Vertebral foramen: circular
3. Spinous process: long, slopes inferiorly
4. Transverse process: has facets for articulation with ribs
Lumbar vertebrae:
1. Body: large, kidney-shaped
2. Vertebral foramen: triangular
3. Spinous process: thick, short
4. Transverse process: no foramen transversarium or facets
Special features of atlas (C1)
- Lacks a vertebral body (fused to body of C2 axis)
- No intervertebral disc between C1 and C2
Where do spinal nerves exit from?
Interveterbral foramina (between the pedicles of adjacent vertebrae)
Label the 5 regions of the vertberal colum:
1. Name
2. Number of vertebrae
- 7 cervical vertebrae (C1-C7)
- 12 thoracic vertebrae (T1-T12)
- 5 lumbar vertebrae (L1-L5)
- 5 sacral (S1-S5, fused to form sacrum)
- 4 coccygeal (Co1-Co5, fused to form coccyx)
Special features of axis (C2)
- Dens
Special features of axis (C2)
- The body of C1 fuses onto the body of C2 to form the dens, which acts as a pivot that allows the atlas and attached head to rotate on the axis
- No intervertebral disc between C1 and C2
What are the 2 major types of joints between vertebrae?
- Symphyses between vertebral bodies (i.e. the intervertebral discs)
- Synovial joints between articular processes (zygapophysial joints)
How many joints does a typical vertebra have with adjacent vertebrae?
6 joints:
- 2 symphyses (one above and below)
- 4 synovial joints (two above and below)
Label the symphesis (joint) present between adjacent vertebral bodies
- Hyaline cartilage
- Intervertebral disc: anulus fibrosus and nucleus pulposus
Compare the features of zygaopophysial joints between articular processes in the cervical vs thoracic vs lumbar region:
1. Orientation
2. What kind of movement does it facilitate/limit?
Cervical region:
1. Slopes inferiorly from anterior to posterior
2. Facilitates flexion and extension
Thoracic region:
1. Oriented vertically
2. Facilitates rotation, limits flexion and extension
Lumbar region:
1. Curved/wrapped
2. Limited range of movement, but flexion and extension are still allowed
Characteristics of anterior and posterior longitudinal ligaments
Anterior longitudinal ligaments:
- Attached along its length to the anterior surface of vertebral bodies and intervertebral discs
- Attached to the base of the skull and anterior surface of the sacrum
Posterior longitudinal ligaments:
- Attached along its length to the posterior surface of vertebral bodies and intervertebral discs
Label the 5 regions of the vertberal colum:
1. Name
2. Number of vertebrae
- 7 cervical vertebrae (C1-C7)
- 12 thoracic vertebrae (T1-T12)
- 5 lumbar vertebrae (L1-L5)
- 5 sacral (S1-S5, fused to form sacrum)
- 4 coccygeal (Co1-Co5, fused to form coccyx)
Special features of axis (C2)
- The body of C1 fuses onto the body of C2 to form the dens, which acts as a pivot that allows the atlas and attached head to rotate on the axis
- No intervertebral disc between C1 and C2
Label the 5 regions of the vertberal colum:
1. Name
2. Number of vertebrae
- 7 cervical vertebrae (C1-C7)
- 12 thoracic vertebrae (T1-T12)
- 5 lumbar vertebrae (L1-L5)
- 5 sacral (S1-S5, fused to form sacrum)
- 4 coccygeal (Co1-Co5, fused to form coccyx)
Special features of axis (C2)
- The body of C1 fuses onto the body of C2 to form the dens, which acts as a pivot that allows the atlas and attached head to rotate on the axis
- No intervertebral disc between C1 and C2