The Back Flashcards
What is the purpose of the superior and inferior articular processes?
Restrict movement
Zygaphophasial joint formed by…
Inferior processes of one vertebra and the superior processes of the vertebra below it
What is the purpose of the transverse and spinous processes?
Restrict movement
Muscle attachment
Interveterbral foramen
- Where spinal nerves exit from the spinal cord out to body
- Formed by the inferior vertebral notch of top vertebra and superior vertebral notch of bottom vertebra
What are the purposes of joint surfaces?
To attach vertebrae together Prevent rotation (important to prevent damage to SC)
What are the 2 parts of the IV disk?
Anulus fibrosus
Nucleus pulposus
How many cervical vertebrae are there?
7
What are characteristics of typical cervical vertebrae (C3-C6)?
Oval-shaped bodies
Bifid spinous process
Foramen transversarium
Posterior and anterior tubercles on transverse processes
What passes through the foramen transversarium of the cervical vertebrae?
Vertebral arteries
What is the name of the anterior tubercle of C6?
Carotid tubercle
It is larger than others
What are characteristics of C1?
Atlas:
No body
No spinous process
Superior articular surfaces for connection to occipital condyles
Atlanto-occipital joint
Between atlas and skull
Nodding head
What are characteristics of C2?
Has a body
Dens (odontoid process)
Dens originated from…
The body of C1 – it migrated down to the second vertebra
Atlanto-axial joint
Between atlas and axis
Shaking head
The dens is held around C1 by…
The transverse ligament of the atlas (part of the cruciate ligament)
This ligament is on C1
What protrusion can be felt at the base of the neck?
Spinous process of C7
How many thoracic vertebrae are there?
12
What are characteristics of thoracic vertebrae?
Kidney-shaped bodies
Spinous processes slope down and overlap with the next vertebra
Transverse costal facets located on what vertebrae?
Thoracic
Where are costal facets located?
Transverse process and
2 on each side of vertebral body of THORACIC vertebrae
How many lumbar vertebrae are there?
5
What are characteristics of lumbar vertebrae?
Kidney-shaped bodies
Thin transverse process
Spinous processes stick straight back
How many sacral vertebrae are there?
5 fused vertebrae
Median sacral crest originated from…
Spinous processes of the 5 fused vertebrae
Auricular surfaces on what structure?
Sacrum
Where does the spinal cord end?
L1
How many bones make up the coccyx?
4
Remnants of tail bone
Why do people become shorter as they age?
IV disks lose elascticity
Anterior longitudinal ligament blends with…
Anulus fibers of IV disks
Posterior longitudinal ligament continuous with…
Tectorial membrane (runs C2–>skull)
Ligamentum flavum
Between each vertebrae, along the inside vertebral wall (inside the vertebral arch)
Flavum = yellow
Extend from the lamina above to the lamina below
Interspinous ligament
Between spinous processes
Supraspinous ligament
Runs down along all of the spinous processes (runs C7-sacrum)
Nuchal ligament
Wide, flat
Extends out from vertebral column
Serves as point of attachment for muscles
Runs Skull –> C7
Intertransverse ligament
between transverse processes
Transverse ligament
holds dens around atlas
Clivus
Slope of skull where posterior long ligament originates
Cruciate ligament composed of…
Transverse ligament of the atlas
Superior and inferior longitudinal bands
Apical ligament
At tip of dens
Anterior and posterior atlanto-occipital membranes extend…
from base of skull to C1
What sections of vert column are primary curves?
What is their direction?
Thoracic and sacral
Concave front
Convex back
What sections of vert column are secondary curves?
What is their direction?
Cervical and lumbar
Convex front
Concave back
Laminectomy
Remove vertebral column to expose spinal cord
How many pairs of cervical nerves are there?
8
C1 nerve goes over top of atlas
C8 nerve goes under C7 vertebra
Past the neck region, where are the spinal nerve pairs in relation to vertebrae?
Exit under the corresponding vertebrae
Cervical plexus runs
C1-C5
Brachial plexus runs
C5-T1
Intercostal nerves run
T1-T12
Lumbar plexus runs
L1-L4
Sacral plexus
L5-sacral nerves
Enlargements/bulges in SC correspond with…
Areas of high activity
Cervical enlargement corresponds with…
Brachial plexus
Lumbosacral enlargement corresponds with…
Lumbosacral plexus
What happens during development that causes the spinal cord to be shorter than the vertebral column?
Vertebral column grows faster than SC
What are the meninges of the SC?
Dura mater – fibrous
Arachnoid mater – filled with CSF
Pia mater
Denticulate ligaments
Secure the spinal cord within the cavity
Attach the pia mater to the dura and arachnoid maters
“Tooth-like”
Lumbar puncture
Insert into lumbar cistern (enlargement of subarachnoid space in the dural sac; contains CSF and cauda equina)
Gray matter
Cell bodies of neurons
White matter
Bundles of axons
Spinal ganglion
bundle of cell bodies
Anterior nerves are…
Posterior nerves are…
(Motor or sensory)
Ant: motor
Post: sensory
Describe the organization of the spinal cord
SAME DAVE Sensory Afferent Motor Efferent
Dorsal
Afferent
Ventral
Efferent
Spinal nerve is what kind of nerve?
Mixed – both motor and sensory
What arteries supply the back?
Where do they branch from?
Anterior spinal artery
Posterior spinal arteries (2)
Branch from vertebral arteries
Vertebral arteries anastamose with…
Spinal branches of Segmental arteries
Segmental arteries come from descending aorta
What are the muscles in the erector spinae (middle layer)?
Iliocostalis (outermost)
Longissimus (middle)
Spinalis (innermost)
What are the muscles of the transversospinalis (deep layer)?
Semispinalis (outermost)
Multifidus (middle)
Rotatores (innermost)
Major extrinsic muscles of the back are innervated by…
Dorsal scapular nerve
Cranial nerve XI
Thoracolumbar fascia
Trapezius and Lats dorsi intersect to here
What are the extrinsic muscles of the back (superficial)?
Trapezius Latissimis dorsi Levator scapulae Rhomboid major Rhomboid minor
Erector spinae muscles innervated by…
Posterior rami of spinal nerves
Splenius is in what layer?
Middle layer of muscle
Transversospinalis muscles innervated by…
Posterior rami of spinal nerves
Intertransversarii
Muscles that go from one transverse process to the next
Interspinales
Muscles that go from one spinous process to the next
Sternocleidomastoid (SCM)
Muscle that is related to trapezius
Starts at back of skull and wraps around to front of neck
Suboccipital triangle made by:
Rectus capitis posterior major (defines triangle)
-closest to spine
Rectus capitis posterior minor
Obliquus capitis superior (defines triangle)
Obliquus capitis inferior (defines triangle)
-floor of triangle
What artery is within the suboccipital triangle?
Vertebral artery
Vertebral artery travels through what vertebrae?
Cervical
What nerve runs through the suboccipital triangle?
Suboccipital nerve
post rami of C1 nerve
Greater occipital nerve is…
C2 (sensory)
Lesser occipital nerve is…
C3 (sensory)
Muscles of the suboccipital triangle are innervated by…
Suboccipital nerve
What kind of arteries are in the thoracic region?
Intercostal arteries
Most muscles of the back are innervated by…
Post rami of spinal nerves
What muscle of the back is innervated by both the ant and post rami of spinal nerves?
Intertransversarii
