Spine Flashcards
Table comparing different vertebrae
Features of Cervical vertebra (Body/Foramen/Transverse and spinous process)
Body: small and oval
Foramen: triangular
Transverse process: foramen for vertebral arteries
Spinous process: fork shaped (ligamentum nuchae). C1 lacks spinous process
Features of Thoracic vertebra (Body/Foramen/Transverse and spinous process)
Body: heart shaped body. has costal facets
Foramen: circular
Transverse process: facet for tubercle of the rib articulation
Spinous process: inferiorly pointed
Features of Lumbar vertebra (Body/Foramen/Transverse and spinous process)
Body: large kidney shaped
Foramen: flattened triangular
Transverse process: short no foramen or facets
Spinous process: thick posteriorly pointed
Joints between vertebra and ribs
Costovertebral joint and costotransverse joints
The head of the rib interacts with the same level vertebra as well as the one above (except T1, T11 and T12 interacting with one vertebra only)
The tubercle of the rib interacts with the same level vertebra
Costovertebral vs costotransverse joints
Costovertebral: head of the rib + superior facet
Costotransverse joint: tubercle of the rib to transverse facet
Atlas and Axis features
Dens placed anteriorly in atlas (C1): kept in with transverse ligament of atlas
C1 doesn’t have spinous process
Lamina and pedicle
Pedicle: foot in latin, links body to transverse process
Lamina: links transverse process to spinous process
Types of joints (movablity)
Fibrous: sutures (fixed)
Cartilaginous: semi movable
Synovial: freely movable
Examples of fibrous joints
Sutures
Gomphoses (teeth to mandible)
Syndesomosis (eg ulna and radius)
Examples of cartilaginous joints
Synchondroses (bones joined with hyaline cartilage): growth plate eventually ossifies
Symphyses (bones joined with fibrocartilage)
Types of synovial joints
6
Ball and socket
Hinge
Condyloid
Plane
Saddle
Pivot
Structures encountered for lumbar puncture superficial to deep
Skin
Superficial and deep fascia
Supraspinous lig
Interspinous lig
Flavum lig
Dura mater
Arachnoid mater
Shouldnt go passed this point but if do the following
Post longitudinal
Ant longitudinal
Vertebral discs composition
Nucleus pulposis (gelatinous matrix)
Annulus fibrosis
What structure affected with disc prolapse
Annular fibrosis tear allows nucleus pulposis leak
This could compress spinal routes or cord (usually roots as tears eccentrically)
What is nucleus pulposis made off
collagenous fibres (type 2) in a pool mucoprotein gel
Which spinal roots are commonly affected with disc prolapse
L4/5
L5/S1
What is uncus of cervical vertebra
is upturned part (lip) of the cervical body
forms unco-vertebral joints with successive vertebrae and allow rotational movements
What attaches to anterior and posterior tubercles of cervical vertebra
Anterior middle and posterior scalene muscles
Features of C7
Very prominent single spinous process (helps identify on palpation)
How many spinal roots?
31
8 cervical
12 thoracic
5 lumbar
5 sacral
1 coccygeal
Describe the anatomy of sympathetic nervous system
Cell bodies of sympathetic NS lie in lateral horn
Pre-ganglionic fibres go through anterior rami of T1 to L2
Pass through white rami communicante to enter sympathetic chain
They synapse with post ganglionic fibres here
Some don’t synapse in sympathetic chain (forming splanchnic nerves)
Typical rib anatomy
Intramembranous vs endochondral ossification
Intramembranous: sutures of the skull : bone being laid on bone
endochondral: bone on cartilage : eg mandible, facial bones etc
Different parts of spinal cord
Conus medullaris is the distal bullous end of the spine
Filium terminale is the fibrous continouation of conus medullaris
Different parts of spinal cord
Conus medullaris is the distal bullous end of the spine
Filium terminale is the fibrous continouation of conus medullaris
What is spina bifida
group of congenital conditions resulting from failure of neural arches fusing
Different types of spina bifida
