Spine and Thorax Flashcards
What much of our weight does the vertebral column support?
2/3
Describe the development of curves of the spine.
- newborns are kyphotic
- cervical lordosis develops next, when posterior neck muscles develop
- then lumbar lordosis
- stable at puberty
Spinal nerve exits where?
-in the intervertebral foramen
What are distinguishing features of C3-C7 vertebrae?
- small body
- uncinate processes on vertebral body and articulate and create uncovertebral joints
- C3-C6 have bifid spinous processes
- transverse foramen for the vertebral artery to run through
What are the distinguishing features of C1?
- no vertebral body
- no spinous process, just has a posterior tubercle on the posterior side
What are the distinguishing features of C2/axis?
-dens/odontoid process that sits in the anterior section of the C1 foramen
What are the distinguishing features of thoracic vertebrae?
- vertebral bodies get taller and broader
- spinous process angled inferior
- transverse processes angled posteriorly
Where do the ribs articulate?
-the transverse process and vertebral body of the thoracic vertebrae
What are the costal facets? Where are they on the thoracic vertebra?
- articulation of rib and vertebrae
- superior and inferior costal facets on vertebral body
- transverse costal facet (except on T11-T12)
What are the distinguishing features of lumbar?
-largest bodies and thickest spinous processes
How many articulations does a vertebra have? thoracic vertebra?
- 6
- 12
What role does each of these play in motion: intervertebral discs, facet joints, ligaments, muscles?
- relative height of discs relative to height of vertebral body dictate amount of motion
- facet joints guide direction of motion
- ligaments prevent excessive motion
- muscles control motion
What type of joint is the intervertebral disc? What tissue is it made of? What is its function? How does it contribute to the curvature of the spine?
- symphysis joint
- made of fibrocartilage
- function as shock absorber
- thicker as you move inferiorly
- can be thicker or thinner anteriorly to help shape spine
What 2 parts makes up the intervertebral discs? What is this anatomy important?
- nucleus pulposus - gelatinous and water
- annulus fibrosus: outer layer- concentric sheets of collagen with high tensile strength; inner layer- attach to hyaline cartilage of adjacent vertebrae
- axial compression: nucleus pulposus pushes out to transform compressive load to tensile load and annulus fibrosus able to handle that force
How can a herniation occur? What happens when nucleus pulposus becomes dehydrated?
- annular fibrosus loses elasticity during aging and then can’t keep in the converted tensile load; thus the nucleus pulposus protrudes out
- lose water content, becomes shorter and decreases shock absorption
What type of joint is the facet joint? What is the angulation of the cervical, thoracic, and lumbar facets? What types of movement do they allow for?
- synovial
- cervical: 45 and increased mobility in all planes
- thoracic: nearly vertical: allows for rotation and lateral flexion
- lumbar: nearly vertical but face medially: allows for flexion/extension
What are the 2 ligaments of the vertebral body? Where do they run? What are there fxns?
- anterior longitudinal lig’t: attach to vertebral bodies of sacrum to C1
- limits extension - posterior longitudinal lig’t: attaches to posterior vertebral bodies and discs of sacrum to C2
- limits flexion
What is the ligament of the lamina? Where does it run? What is its fxns?
- ligamentum flavum: attaches lamina to adjacent lamina
- limits flexion
- reinforces vertebral canal wall posteriorly
What are the 3 ligaments of the transverse and spinous processes? Where do they run? What are there fxns?
- interspinous ligaments: between spinous process
- limits flexion
- intertransverse ligaments: between transverse processes
- limits flexion
- supraspinous ligaments: run on outside of spinous processes
- limits contralateral lateral flexion
What is the cervical continuation of the anterior longitudinal ligament? What is its function?
- anterior atlanto-axial membrane
- anterior atlanto-occiptal membrane
- limit extension
What is the cervical continuation of the posterior longiudinal ligament? What is its function?
- tectorial membrane from C2-occiput
- limit flexion
What is the cervical continuation of the ligament flavum? What is its function?
- posterior atlanto-occipital membrane
- posterior atlantoaxial membrane
- limits flexion
What is the cervical continuation of the supraspinous ligament? What is its function? When is it typically injured during?
- ligmentum nuchae from C7 to skull
- helps keep cervical spine extended
- whiplash
What 2 ligaments are unique to cervical vertebrae? What are there functions?
- cruciform ligament: transverse lig’t from atlas to atlas (wrapping around dense) to support dens and longitudinal fasiclse from occiput to axis
- holds in dense
- prevents anterior movement of C1 on C2
- alar ligament: from lateral dens to occiput
- limits lateral flexion of C1, C2, occiput
