Regions of the Vertebral Column: Lumbar Spine (Typical Lumbar Spine: L1-L4/Atypical Lumbar Vertebrae: L5) Flashcards
What accounts for the direction of the lumbar curve?
The vertebral body and intervertebral disc have a greater anterior height than posterior height
What is the effect of aging on the vertebral body of a lumbar vertebra?
Decrease in height, increase in circumference
How many joint surfaces are present on the vertebral body of a typical lumbar?
Six
What muscles may attach to a typical lumbar vertebral body?
Psoas major and psoas minor
Psoas minor will only attach to the vertebral body of which segments?
T12, L1
What is the name given to ligaments which attach the vertebral body to articular process?
Transforaminal ligaments
Hofmann ligaments are identified in which regions along the vertebral column?
Cervical–upper thoracic region and lumbar region
Cervical–upper thoracic Hofmann ligaments will attach what structure together?
Dura mater to segments above
What is the highest level known to demonstrate Hofmann ligaments?
C6
What is the proposed function of the cervical–upper thoracic Hofmann ligaments?
Resist caudal movement of the dural sac; resist gravitational forces on the dura and cord
Lumbar Hofmann ligaments will attach what structures together?
Dura mater to lower segmental levels
What is the proposed function of the lumbar Hofmann ligaments?
Resist cranial movement of the dural sac during flexion
What osseous conditions of lumbar vertebrae facilitate a spinal tap in this region?
Overlap of the laminae, shingling, diminishes; overlap of spinous processes, imbrication, diminishes
Beginning with the L1 transverse process, what is the generic direction and relative length of each succeeding lumbar transverse process?
Each transverse process is directed straight lateral and increases in length from L1-L3. L4 then begins to decrease in length
What is the name of the elevation near the origin of the lumbar transverse process?
Accessory process
Congenital elongation of the lumbar accessory process results in what feature?
Styloid process
Congenital elongation of the lumbar accessory process occurs with what frequency?
7% occurence
What ligament(s) will attach to the lumbar accessory process?
Mammillo-accessory ligament
What was believed to be entrapped by the mammillo-accessory ligament?
the medial branch of the dorsal ramus of a lumbar spinal nerve
What muscle(s) attach to the lumbar accessory process?
Longissimus thoracis and intertransversarii
what ligament attaches the twelfth rib to the transverse process of L1?
The lumbocostal ligament
What muscles may attach to the transverse process of a typical lumbar vertebra?
Psoas major, quadratus lumborum, longissimus thoracis, rotator brevis, rotator longus, and intertransversarii
What ligaments attach to the transverse process of a typical lumbar vertebra?
The lumbocostal, mammillo-accessory, and intertransversarii ligaments
What is the orientation of the typical lumbar superior articular facet?
Backward, upward, ,medial (BUM); typically concave
What is the orientation of the typical lumbar inferior articular facet?
Forward, lateral, downward (FoLD); significant convexity
What is the name given to the projection on the lumbar superior articular process?
Mammillary process
What muslce(s) will attach to the mammmillary process?
Multifidis and intertransversarii
How many synovial joints are present on a typical lumbar vertebra?
Four
What i the position of he lumbar zygapophysis in children?
the zygapophysis lies in the coronal plane
What is the position of the lumbar zyapophysis in adults?
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
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?
Joint asymmetry or joint tropism
What is the name(s) of the condition in which the typical lumbar spinous process increases in length due to the aging process?
Baastrup’s syndrome or “kissing spines”
What is Baastrup’s syndrome?
Elongation of the lumbar spinous process as a result of aging
What muscles will attach to the typical lumbar spinous process?
Latissimus dorsi, serratus posterior inferior, iliocostalis lumborum, longissimus thoracis, spinalis thoracis, multifidis, rotator longus, rotator brevis, and interspinalis
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.
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
What muscles may attach to the transverse process of the fifth thoracic vertebra?
Psoas major, quadratus lumborum, longissimus thoracis, rotator brevis, rotator longus, and intertransversarii
What ligaments traditionally attach to the transverse process of the fifth lumbar vertebra?
Lumbosacral, iliolumbar, and mammillo-accessory ligaments
What is the name(s) of the condition in which the L5 spinous process increases in length due to the aging process?
Baastrup’s syndrome or “kissing spines”
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?
Knife Clasp Syndrome
What muscles will attach to the fifth lumbar spinous process?
Latissimus dorsi, iliocostalis lumborum, longissimus thoracis, multifidis, rotator longus, rotator brevis, and interspinalis
