Small Animal Spine

Question 1

Vertebral column components

Answer 1

Cervical: 7 
Thoracic: 13 
Lumbar: 7 
Sacral: 3 
Cd: variable

Question 2

Spinal cord column components

Answer 2

Cervical: 8 
Thoracic: 13 
Lumbar: 7 
Sacral: 3 
Cd: variable

Question 3

Which cervical vertebrae has a large transverse process?

Answer 3

• C6

Question 4

Where is the first intervertebral disc?

Answer 4

• Between C2 and C3

Question 5

Where do nerve roots exit in general?

Answer 5

• lateral to the cord segment

Question 6

Where do nerve roots exit from C1?

Answer 6

• Via lateral foramen of C1

Question 7

Where do nerve roots exit from C2-C8?

Answer 7

• Cranial intervertebral foramen

Question 8

What do you use during ventral slot surgery to localize?

Answer 8

• Large wings of C6

Question 9

For an atlanto-occipital tap, what is the landmark?

Answer 9

• Use wings of atlas and spinous process of C2

Question 10

Thoracic spine characteristics

Answer 10

• No transverse processes
• They attach to the ribs
• If you find one vertebra with a rib and one without, you know you’re at T13-L1

Question 11

Where do nerve roots exit in the thoracic spine?

Answer 11

• Caudal intervertebral foramina (i.e. behind the corn segment

Question 12

How many cord segments in the thoracic spine, and where do they live relative to their respective vertebral body?

Answer 12

• 13 cord segments, and each cord segment lives in its respective vertebral body (e.g. T3 cord segment is in the T3 vertebral canal)

Question 13

How can we distinguish T1 from C7?

Answer 13

• Cranial vertebrae have prominent spinous processes

Question 14

How can we distinguish the T13-L1 junction?

Answer 14

• Thoracic vertebrae have ribs, and lumbar vertebrae do not

Question 15

Where do the cord segments in the lumbar spine live relative to their respective lumbar vertebrae?

Answer 15

• They don’t always line up
• L2 aligns with L2 segment
• L5 vertebral body has S1-3 segments
• L3-L7 segments are in the L3 and L4 vertebral bodies

Question 16

What is in the vertebral canal after L5?

Answer 16

• Cauda equine nerve roots

Question 17

What is the significance of a lesion localizing to L6-L7?

Answer 17

• If you have a vertebral body lesion, you need to go more cranial than you might expect

Question 18

Other featurse of lumbar vertebrae that are unique?

Answer 18

• Prominent articular processes

- Transverse processes that are fairly ventral on the body, and orient cranially

Question 19

Make sure you can identify the following:

• Dorsal spinous process
• Spinal cord
• Articular process
• Anulus fibrosus
• Transverse process
• Nucleus pulposus

Answer 19

• Draw it out and know it

Question 20

Know the following:

Various parts of the vertebrae

Anatomy of the spinal cord relative to the vertebrae

• Number of vertebrae in each of its segments

Answer 20

• Just know it

Question 21

Compare and contrast the dorsal spinous process of cervical spine vs thoracic spine vs lumbar

Answer 21

• Dorsal spinous process is quite short on the cervical spine
• Very pronounced on the thoracic spine
• Lumbar is kind of in-between?

Question 22

Label the following on the cervical spine:

• Dorsal spinous process
• Articular process
• Transverse foramina
• Transverse process

Answer 22

Just do it