The Spine Flashcards
Lecture week 1
What is the vertebral bodys function?
to resist compressive loads
What is the pedicles funciton?
to trnasmit the bending forces from the posterior elements to the vertebral body
What is the vertebral body?
block of trapecular bone covered by a layer of cortical bone
What is the pedicle?
short, stout pillar with thick walls that connect the vertebrae body to the posteior elements
What is the lamina?
the vertical plate that consitutes the central portion of each arch posterior to the pedical
What is the function of the lamina?
to transmit the forces from the articular, transvers and spinous process to pedicles
What is the transverse process?
lateral projections of bone that originate from the laminate.
what is the funciton of the transverse process?
serve as a muscle attatchment and provide mechanical lever.
What is the spinous process?
a posterior projection of bone from the central portion of lamiate.
What is the function of spinous process?
serve as a muscle attatchment and provide a mechanical lever and may also serve as a boney block to motion.
What is the vertrbral foramen?
Opening boarding by the posterior vertbral body and the neural arch
What is the function of the vertebral foramen?
Combined with all segments form a passage and protection for the spinal cord
Cervical vertbral body
is small, with a diameter greater than its anterioposterior diameter. The anterior surface is flat. Superior surface of the body is saddle shaped.
Why is the cervica vertebral body saddle shaped?
Due to the precence of the ucinate processes on the lateral aspects of the superior surfaces.
Pedicals of the cervical vertebrae
project posteriolateral
Laminae of cervical spine
project posteromedialy, thin and slightly curved
Superior zygopophyseal facets orientation
face superiorly and medially
Inferior zygopophyseal facets orientation
face anteriorly and lateraly
Transverse processes of cervical spine
Possess foramina for vertbral artery and vein, have a gutter for the spinal nerve.
Spinous process of the cervial spine
short, slender and extend horizontally and have bifid tips
Vertebral forament of the cervial spine
large and roughly triangular
Thoracic vertrbral body
transvers and anteroposteroly diameters of the bodies are equal. The anterior height is less than posterior height
What is esspecially unique to thoracic vertebral bodies
Two demi facets for rib articulation
Where are the demi factes located?
Posterolateral corners of the vertebral plateaus
Pedicals on thoracic spine
Are variable in shape and orientation
Laminae of thoracic spine
short, thick and broad
Superior articular/zygapophysical facets of throacic
thin and flat; face postriorly, superiorly and lateral
Inferior articular facet of thorcacic
face anteriorly, inferiorly and medially
Transvers process of thoracic vertbrae
large with thickened ends. possess paired oval facets for rib articulation. decrease in length going down spine
Spinous process of thoracic vertbrae
T1-T10 slope inferiorly T11 and T12 have a triangular shape
Vertebral foramen of thoracic
Small and Circular
Lumbar spine vertrbral body
massive, transvers diaameter > the anteroposterior diameter and height
Pedicles of lumbar spine
short and thick
Laminae of lumbar spine
short and broad
Supeiror articular facets of lumbar
veritcal concave, face posteriomedially, support mamilary processes on postior boarders
Inferior articular facets of lumabr
verticle convex, face anterolaterally
Transverse process of lumbar spine
long, slender and extend horizontally support accesory process on posterior inferor surface of root
Spinous process of lumbar spine
broad thick and extend horizontally
Vertrbral foramen of lumbar spine
triangular larger than thoracic but smaller than cervial
Where does the anterior longitudinal ligament attatch?
to anteriro ascpets of vertbral bodies and discs. several layers. C2 to sacrum.
What motion does the anterior longitudinal ligament resist/limit?
extension, as well helps reinforce anterolateral portion of annulous fibrous and anterior ascpet of intervertbral joints.
Where is the anterior longitudinal ligament most developed?
cervical, lower thoracic and lumbar.
Where does the posterior longitudinal ligament attach?
to posterior aspect of vertrbral bodies and disc, several layers. C2 to sacrum.
What motion does the posterior longitudinal ligament resisit/limit?
forward flexion and reinforces posterior portion of the annulous fiberous.
What does the posterior longitudinal ligament look like in each region of the spine?
borad in the cervical and throacic, narrow in the lumabr region.
Where does the ligamentum flavum ligament attach/connet?
lamina of adjacent vertbrae, runs C2 to sacrum
Whats unqiue about the ligamentum flavum ligament?
Its made of elastic fibers, so it wont buckle and helps with constant disc compression.
Why is constant disc compression important?
What motion does ligamentum flavum resist/limit?
forward flexion, particulay in the lumbar region, where it resits separation of the laminae
What does the ligamentum flavum ligament look like in each region of the spine?
thin, broad and long in the cervial and thoracic and thickest in the lumabr region.
Where does the supraspinatus ligament attach/connet?
connects posterior aspect of spinouss process (tip to tip) thoracic - lumbar C7-L3 or L4
What motion does suprapinatus resist/limit?
limits forward flexion
What does the supraspinatus ligament look like in each reagion
weak in lumabar `
What ligament merges with the nuchal ligament?
supraspinatus ligament
Where does the interspinous ligament attach/connet?
Located between spinous processed C1-S1
What motion does the interspinous ligament limit/resist?
flexion, stabalize the spine
Where is th interspinous ligament most developed/ thick?
Lumbar region
Where does the intertransverse ligament attach/connet?
Conncets trnasvers processes
What motion does the intertransverse ligament resisit/limit?
forward flexion and contralateral flexion
What is contralateral flexion?
What is laminectomy?
removing the lamina from spinal segments
Why do a laminectomy
To help take off/ reduce load/ pressure on spine at that level or levels. Common if nerve damage is suspected
What major consideration to keep if a laminaectomy is performed?
you loose a lot of muscle attatchment that were at that level and ligmments at that level
Muscles considered movers in the back?
Splenius, Semispinalis, Sternoclydomastoid, Scalnes, Erector spinae
Muscles considered stabalizers of the back?
multifidus, intertrnaversali, trnasvers abdominus, rotatores, interspinalis, suboccipitals, longus colli, longus capitis
Two level fusion
2 IV discs but 3 verbrae
Three level fusion
3 IV discs but 4 vertbrae
Why perform a fusion?
stops motion at the levels that have tha fusion
What is torticollis?
a condition where the neck muscles tighten, causing the head to tilt to one side, typically due to a shortened or tight sternocleidomastoid muscle (SCM), resulting in an abnormal head position and limited neck range of motion;
Symptoms of torticollis?
neck pain, contracted SCM, inability to turn head ispilateral
Causes of torticollis
congenital, sleeping awkwardly, slipped facet, herniated disc, viral/bacerial infection
