The Back - Bones, Joints, Ligaments, Muscles Flashcards
Give three examples of what could cause backpain
Aortic aneurysm - swelling of the abdominal aorta
Pancreatitis - inflammation of the pancreas
Renal colic - kidney stones
What are the functions of the vertebral column and vertebrae?
- Locomotion
- Supports body weight
- Protects and transmits spinal cord and nerves
What is the primary and secondary curvature?
Primary curvature - concave anteriorly; remains in thoracic and sacral regions
Secondary curvature - concave posteriorly; remains in cervical and lumbar regions - develops from primary when child first stands up and walks
What allows the formation of the secondary curvatures?
Intervertebral discs
Features of a typical vertebra
Body Spine Transverse processes Vertebral foramen/canal - for spinal cord Neural arch Pedicle Lamina Inferior/superior articular facet Intervertebral foramen - where the spinal nerve emerges
Features of a typical Cervical vertebra
Body - small
Bifid spine - two little processes
Vertebral foramen - large, triangular
Foramen transversarium - hole of the vertebral arteries and veins
Uncinate Processes - at lateral edges of body; synovial articulation with vertebra above (arthritis)
Superior articular facets
What is the greatest movement of the Cervical vertebrae?
Flexion, with some later flexion
Features of a typical Thoracic vertebra
Same except:
Costal demi-facets - upper for articulation with the head of its own rib
Bigger body, heart shaped
Smaller vertebral foramen
Superior articular facets face posteriorly
Transverse process has a facet for articulation with its own rib
What is the greatest movement of the Thoracic vertebrae?
Rotation
Describe the structure of the Atlas?
Has a pair of inferior and superior articular facets - inferior facets join onto the axis, while the superior facets join onto the Occipital Condyles of the skull
It also has a groove for the vertebral artery and a transverse process with foramen
What is the greatest movement of the Lumbar vertebrae?
Extension, with some flexion and later flexion
No rotation
What is the greatest movement of the Atlas vertebra?
Flexion and extension of the head at the atlanto-occipital joint (looking up at the ceiling)
Structure of the sacrum and coccyx
Ala Sacral Promontory Anterior and posterior foramen Crests (Median, intermediate, lateral) Sacral Hiatus (anaesthesia)
Structure of the Axis
Body with Odontoid process/dents Transverse process with foramen Vertebral foramen Superior articular facets Bifid spine
What is the greatest movement of the Axis vertebra?
Rotation at atlanto-axial joint
Main joints of the vertebrae?
Zygapophyseal
- between the superior and inferior articular facets
Intervertebral (secondary cartilaginous)
- between two adjacent vertebrae (intervertebral disc)
What is the intervertebral disc made up of?
Anulus fibrosus - ring of fibrocartilage
Nucleus pulposus - semi-fluid
What happens to the nucleus pulposus during herniation?
Compresses on the spinal cord and the nerves
Ligaments of the vertebral column
- Posterior longitudinal (behind vertebral body)
- Anterior longitudinal (in front of vertebral body)
- Ligamenta flava (between vertebral laminae)
- Intertranverse (between transverse processes)
- Supraspinous (between tips of the spine)
- Interspinous (between all of the spine)
- Ligamentum nuchae (from external occipital protuberance and foramen magnum to C7
- Anterior longitudinal changes into Anterior atlanto-axial and Anterior atlanto-occipital membranes
- Posterior longitudinal changes into Tectorial membrane
- Ligamentum flavum changes into Posterior atlanto-axial and Posterior atlanto-occipital membranes
- Alar ligaments
- Superior longitudinal, transverse, inferior longitudinal bands of cruciate ligaments
What is the blood supply of the vertebral column like?
- Arterial anastomosis
- Internal and external venous plexuses
- Basivertebral veins (between body and posterior ligament)
Muscles of the back
Muscle 1 - most superficial, for upper limb movement
- Trapezius - Levator Scapulae, Rhomboid Minor and Major; extends neck, braces and elevates shoulders; C7-T12
- Latissium dorsi - iliac crest, lower ribs; shoulder extension and adduction; T6-T12
Muscle 2 - intrinsic proper muscles
- From the skull to the pelvis, keeps vertebral column upright
- Supplied by the dorsal rami of spinal nerves
3 layers:
- superficial: splenius cervicis, splenius capitis; together extend, alone rotate and laterally flex
- intermediate: erector spinae (iliocostalis, longissimus, spinalis; devided into capitis, cervicis, thoracis, lumborum)
- deep: transversospinalis - extend, rotate, laterally flex
Also remember abdominal muscles, e.g.: obliques and rectus
