The back; Bones, Ligaments and Muscles Flashcards
How many bones makes up the vertebral column?
33 bones
What is special about the bones in the vertebral column?
The vertebral column consists of a series of irregular bones
What are the different vertebra separated by?
The vertebra are separated from each other by fibrocartilaginous intervertebral disks
What are the 5 regions of vertebra and how many vertebra are in each region?
Cervical Vertebra - x7 Thoracic Vertebra - x12 Lumbar Vertebra - x5 Sacral Vertebra - x5 Cocygeal Vertebra - x1 - 4
Remember; Breakfast at 7, Lunch at 12 and Dinner at 5
Why does the number of vertebra in the Cocygeal region vary?
As the number of vertebra that fuse together varies from one person to another.
Some people all 4 of their Coccygeal vertebra have fused together giving them only 1 bone and in others none have fused giving them 4 bones
What are the 6 primary functions of the vertebral column?
The vertebral column; - Enables upright posture - Supports body weight - Protects and transmits spinal cord and spinal nerves - Supports the skull and allows for its movement - Contributes to the rib cage - Locomotion: Provides attachment for trunk muscles
What are primary curvatures, when are they present and in what regions?
Primary curvatures are;
- Present in-utero where the foetus’ spine is fully curved dorsally (Kyphosis)
- Concave anteriorly (Kyphosis)
- Remains in thoracic and sacral regions after birth
What does Kyphosis mean?
A concave anteriorly
The curved part is pointing dorsally
What does Lordosis mean?
A concave posteriorly
The curved part is pointing anteriorly
What are secondary curvatures, when are they present and in what regions?
Secondary curvatures;
- Are not present in a foetus in-utero
- Are in the cervical and lumbar regions
- Do not develop until an infant lifts their head and stands to walk
What are the 10 main components to any typical vertebra, their functions?
Vertebral body - chunky bit at the front that takes most of the weight from the body/supportive function
Vertebral endplate/Intervertebral surface - part that is taking part in the joint between 2 vertebral bodies, covered in hyaline cartilage (secondary Cartilaginous) it will articulate with an intervertebral disk to form a intervertebral joint
Vertebral arch - Behind vertebral body
Sub parts;
- Pedical, means foot of vertebral arch - articulating / connected to vertebral body
- Lamina, plate or flat area used for ligament and muscle attachment
This vertebral arch encloses a vertebral foramen and when lots of these are stacked together these become continuous and for a vertebral canal in which our spinal cord runs in
Transverse processes - sticky bits out of sides
Spinous process - sticky bit out of back
Superior articular facet and inferior articular facet articulate with one another - vertebrae are a synovial joint and are prone to wear and tear these facet joints, arthritis (osseo and rhemetoid arthritis)
These facet joints are also known as zygapophyseal joints
Inferior veritable notch and superior veritable notch - when 2 stack together form an intervertebral foramen
Draw this diagram
What is bone-bone separated by in the vertebral column?
Bone to bone is separated by a fibrocartilaginous disk (secondary cartilaginous joint between vertebral bodies)
What are articular facets and joints susceptible too?
Articular facets and joint are susceptible to arthritis and back pain
What are the 4 main characteristics of the Cervical Vertebra?
They have Uncinate processes at lateral edges for synovial articulation with vertebra above. They help to deepen the socket between 1 cervical vertebrae and another
Transvers foramen - a whole in the transverse process which contains the vertebral artery and vein , going up through the holes in these vertebrae, being one of the ways to get blood to the brain
Its spinous process is bifid - bifocated at back - Main way to recognise a cervical vertebra
Superior Articular facets are flat, facing superiorly and posteriorly. They are directed postero-laterally.
- Movements can occur here due to the Superior articular facets being flat
What kind of movements can occur in the Cervical region?
Flexion, extension, rotation and lateral flexion
What are the 3 irregular vertebrae found in the cervical region?
C1 (the Atlas), C2 (Axis) and C7
What makes the Atlas/C1 vertebrae irregular?
No vertebral body
Has very big superior articular facets articulate with the occipital condyles (base of skull)
Its inferior articular facets articular with the Axis (C2)
Around back there is a groove behind the articular facets for vertebral artery which will come up and pass around the back of the articular facet to go up into the skull
What kind of joint occurs from the occipital bone in the head to the C1 vertebra and what kind of movement does this allow for?
The Atlanto-occipital joint allows for a little flexion extension in neck
What is unique about the Axis/C2 vertebra, what kind of joint occurs from here and what kind of movement does this allow for?
The Axis/C2 vertebra. has an Odontoid process/Dens which is a tooth-like, sticky up bit at front of C2 vertebra and is used for articulation with the anterior arch of the Atlas
Odontoid process/Dens - allows for rotation of head and neck at the Atlanta-axial joint (making up one of our pivot joints)
Odontoid peg takes the place of the vertebral body of C1, odontoid peg is derived form the vertebral body of C1
It superior articular facets are quite flat to articulate with the inferior facets of the atlas (atlanto-axial joint)
What are the 5 main characteristics of the Thoracic Vertebra?
Has a Heart shaped body and circular vertebral canal
Has a long, downward/inferiorly projected,
spinous process which overlaps 2 vertebrae points
Vertebral Body contains superior and inferior costal demi facets for the articulation with the heads of 2 pairs
of ribs because one rib articulates with half of a facet on the vertebrae above and half of a facet on the vertebra below itself - hence demi facets
Transverse processes has transverse costal facet that articulates with the tubercle of rib - Its transverse processes are very long and stick way out the side
Superior articular facets are flat and point straight backwards/postero-laterally, on a the arc of the circle
- This allows for 1 of the thoracic vertebra to rotate on the articular facets of another
What kind of movement occurs in the Thoracic vertebra and why doesn’t it have any different types of movement?
Main movement in thoracis vertebra is rotation, Due to them being packed very closely together you cannot flex or extend them
What are the 3 atypical vertebrae found in the Thoracic region and what makes them atypical?
T1, T11 and T12 because they have a full articular facet, not a demi articular facet like other thoracic vertebrae because the rib just articulates with 1 vertebrae at the top and bottom
What parts of the Thoracic vertebrae does the ribs articulate with?
Rib articulates with the;
- Demi facet on the body
- Facet on the transverse process (it has a long transverse process with a facet for articulation with the tubercle of its own rib)
What are the 3 main characteristics of the Lumbar Vertebra?
Lumbar vertebrae contain the largest vertebral body compared to the rest of the vertebra
Its Superior Articular Facets are concaved and facing postero-medially, interlocking with
inferior facets so if we stack 1 lumbar vertebrae on top of another this stops rotation, so we only get flexion and extension
Lumber spinous process is short, stumpy and thick quadrangular spinous process