Spinal Anatomy Flashcards
How may vertebra?
33
Cervical vertebra?
Thoracic vertebra?
Lumbar vertebra?
- C1-C7
- T1-T12
- L1-L5
What do we hope to feel when palpating back for spinal/epidural?
Spinous process of the vertebra
What do intervertebral foramina allow for?
Passage of nerves - intervertebral discs can become damaged and compressed and pressure can be exerted on the nerves = pain/paresthesia
What forms facet joint when vertebrae are stacked?
Superior and inferior articulate surfaces and lateral notches
Which spinous processes are more angled and require more cephalad angle for needle?
Cervical and thoracic
Which vertebra are larger, have less overlap, larger gaps, and are easier to place needles?
Lumbar vertebra
What is the Sacral Hiatus? Where is it found?
Incomplete lamina of last vertebra, bridged only by ligaments
- Found in sacrum
What is the bony process of he sacrum that allows ID of sacral hiatus??
Sacral cornu
Why is the sacral hiatus and sacral Cornu useful?
Caudal block
What is a scoliosis?
Lateral curvature
What is a kyphosis?
Posterior curvature
What is a lordosis?
Anterior curvature
What is the strong cord like ligament that connects apices of spinous processes?
Supraspinous ligament
What is the major ligament of the cervical and upper thoracic regions?
Supraspinous ligament
What is the thin ligament that runs between adjacent spinous processes?
Intraspinous ligament
Which ligament is absent or poor quality in cervical region and can be extremely thin in lumbar?
Intraspinous
Which is the strongest ligament that joins the vertebral arches through vertical extensions from adjacent lamina?
Ligamentum Flavum
T/F: Ligamentum Flavum is paired ligaments that overlap between each lamina and appears as a contiguous ligament?
True
Which ligaments cover the anterior and posterior portion of the vertebrae?
Anterior and Posterior Longitudinal Ligaments
What is the space between the ligamentum flavum and the dura mater?
Epidural space
What is the depth of epidural space (potential space), for lumbar, thoracic, cervical?
- midlumbar = 5-6 mm
- thoracic = 3-5 mm
- cervical 1.5-2 mm
What 5 things are found in the epidural space?
- Veins
- Fat
- Lymphatics
- Segmental arteries
- Nerve roots
__A__ veins are valveless, form a plexus being most prominent __B__.
They become engorged during ___C___ and with ___D____.
A. Epidural
B. Laterally
C. Pregnancy
D. Obesity
How far is the epidural space from the distance of the skin?
Average 5 cm midlumbar approach
- varies with level and weight
Where does spinal cord start and end?
- Starts in medulla oblongata
- Ends in adults = L2
- Ends in peds = L3
What are the 3 meningeal layers of the spinal cord?
- Dura mater
- Arachnoid mater
- Pia mater
Which layer of spinal cord holds CSF?
Arachnoid mater
How many total pairs of spinal nerves?
- Cervical?
- Thoracic?
- Lumbar?
- Sacral?
- Coccygeal?
- 31 total pairs
- Cervical = 8
- Thoracic = 12
- Lumbar = 5
- Sacral = 5
- Coccygeal = 1
Where does the first spinal nerve exit?
Between the base of skull and atlas
Where does 8th cervical spinal nerve exit?
Between C7 and T1
Cervical spinal nerves correlate with vertebrae __A__ them. Thoracic spinal nerves correlate with vertebrae __B__ them.
Cervical spinal nerves = A. Below vertebrae
Thoracic spinal nerves = vertebra B. Above
Where does the brachial plexus in relation to the spinal cord?
C4-T1
Where is the lumbar and sacral plexus in relation to the spinal cord?
L2-S3
What consists of long roots of lumbar and sacral nerves and extends from L1-S5?
Cauda Equina
Where does the cauda equina extend from?
L1-S5
What regions is the spinal cord divided into (3)?
- Dorsal
- Ventral
- Lateral
What is contained in the “gray matter” of the spinal cord?
Neuronal cell bodies and unmyelinated fibers
What is contained by the white matter of the spinal cord?
Fiber tracts