Regions of the Vertebral Column: Lumbar Spine (Typical Lumbar Spine: L1-L4/Atypical Lumbar Vertebrae: L5)

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 which attach the vertebral body to articular process?

Answer 6

Transforaminal ligaments

Question 7

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

Answer 7

Cervical–upper thoracic region and lumbar region

Question 8

Cervical–upper thoracic Hofmann ligaments will attach what structure together?

Answer 8

Dura mater to segments above

Question 9

What is the highest level known to demonstrate Hofmann ligaments?

Answer 9

C6

Question 10

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

Answer 10

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

Question 11

Lumbar Hofmann ligaments will attach what structures together?

Answer 11

Dura mater to lower segmental levels

Question 12

What is the proposed function of the lumbar Hofmann ligaments?

Answer 12

Resist cranial movement of the dural sac during flexion

Question 13

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

Answer 13

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

Question 14

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

Answer 14

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

Question 15

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

Answer 15

Accessory process

Question 16

Congenital elongation of the lumbar accessory process results in what feature?

Answer 16

Styloid process

Question 17

Congenital elongation of the lumbar accessory process occurs with what frequency?

Answer 17

7% occurence

Question 18

What ligament(s) will attach to the lumbar accessory process?

Answer 18

Mammillo-accessory ligament

Question 19

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

Answer 19

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

Question 20

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

Answer 20

Longissimus thoracis and intertransversarii

Question 21

what ligament attaches the twelfth rib to the transverse process of L1?

Answer 21

The lumbocostal ligament

Question 22

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

Answer 22

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

Question 23

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

Answer 23

The lumbocostal, mammillo-accessory, and intertransversarii ligaments

Question 24

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

Answer 24

Backward, upward, ,medial (BUM); typically concave

Question 25

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

Answer 25

Forward, lateral, downward (FoLD); significant convexity

Question 26

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

Answer 26

Mammillary process

Question 27

What muslce(s) will attach to the mammmillary process?

Answer 27

Multifidis and intertransversarii

Question 28

How many synovial joints are present on a typical lumbar vertebra?

Answer 28

Four

Question 29

What i the position of he lumbar zygapophysis in children?

Answer 29

the zygapophysis lies in the coronal plane

Question 30

What is the position of the lumbar zyapophysis in adults?

Answer 30

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

Question 31

What names are given to the condition in which one zygapophysis of a vertebral couple lies in the coronal plane or position and the other zygaopohysis lies in teh sagittal plane or position?

Answer 31

Joint asymmetry or joint tropism

Question 32

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

Answer 32

Baastrup’s syndrome or “kissing spines”

Question 33

What is Baastrup’s syndrome?

Answer 33

Elongation of the lumbar spinous process as a result of aging

Question 34

What muscles will attach to the typical lumbar spinous process?

Answer 34

Latissimus dorsi, serratus posterior inferior, iliocostalis lumborum, longissimus thoracis, spinalis thoracis, multifidis, rotator longus, rotator brevis, and interspinalis

Question 35

What characteristic of the L1-L4 pedicle may be used to differentiate it from the L5 segment? Be specific and complete as the difference(s) on a segment from each group.

Answer 35

On cranial view, the lateral surface of the pedicle is apparent on a L1-L4 segment. At L5 the transverse process originates from the vertebral body, pedicle, and lamina-pedicle region

Question 36

What muscles may attach to the transverse process of the fifth thoracic vertebra?

Answer 36

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

Question 37

What ligaments traditionally attach to the transverse process of the fifth lumbar vertebra?

Answer 37

Lumbosacral, iliolumbar, and mammillo-accessory ligaments

Question 38

What is the name(s) of the condition in which the L5 spinous process increases in length due to the aging process?

Answer 38

Baastrup’s syndrome or “kissing spines”

Question 39

What is the name given to the congenital condition in which the fifth lumbar spinous process is elongated, the sacrum exhibits spina bifia, and dorsiflexion produces pain?

Answer 39

Knife Clasp Syndrome

Question 40

What muscles will attach to the fifth lumbar spinous process?

Answer 40

Latissimus dorsi, iliocostalis lumborum, longissimus thoracis, multifidis, rotator longus, rotator brevis, and interspinalis