The vertebral column Flashcards
What are the main functions of the vertebral column?
- Protection: enclose spinal cord, shielding from damage
- Support: weight of upper body
- Movement & posture
- Central axis of body
What are the different regions of the vertebral column and how many bones are in each region?
Cervical: 7 Thoracic: 12 Lumbar: 5 Sacrum: 5 (fused) Coccyx: 4 (fused)
What is the basic outline of the vertebrae?
anterior vertebral body: weight bearing - increasing down the column (because supporting increasing amount of weight)
Posterior: vertebral arch
What are the superior and inferior parts of the vertebral body lined with?
Hyaline cartilage
separated by fibrocartilaginous intervertebral disc
What is the purpose of the IV discs?
shock absorber
allow flexibility of the spine
What is the shape of the IV disc in the lumbar and thoracic regions? why?
wedge shape
supporting curvature of the spine
What are the 2 regions of the vertebral disc?
nucleus pulposus - jelly like, located posteriorly
annulus fibrosus - tough and collagenous, surrounding nucleus pulposus
Clinical: herniation of IV disc
What happens in herniation of IV disc? What does it result in?
nucleus pulposus ruptures
breaking through annulus fibrosus
normally herniates posterior laterally, putting pressure on the spinal cord
results in a variety of neurological and muscular symptoms
What part is the vertebral arch?
lateral and posterior parts of the vertebrae
Where is the spinal cord enclosed?
the spinal cord runs through the vertebral canal
made up of all the vertebral foramen of the vertebral arch (arms) lining up
What are the bony prominences of the vertebral column acting as attachment sites for muscles and ligaments?
- pedicles: join body and articular process
- lamina: between (transverse) articular and spinous process
- Transverse process: extend posteriorly, laterally in thoracic spine (away from pedicles)
- Articular process: between pedicle and lamina, has superior and inferior to articulate with articular processes of vertebrae above and below
- Spinous process: posterior and inferior direction, protect spinal cord from e.g. stab between IV discs , site of attachment for muscles and ligaments
How many cervical vertebrae are there and what are their 3 main distinguishing features?
7 cervical vertebrae
- spinous process bifurcates (apart from C7)
- triangular vertebral foramen
- 2 transverse foramen present to allow the vertebral artery to run through (apart from C7)
What is special about C7 vertebrae?
doesn’t bifurcate,
doesn’t have 2 transverse foramina,
has a much longer spinous process
How many thoracic vertebrae are there? What are their main function? What does it produce?
12 thoracic vertebrae
articulate with ribs
producing bony thorax
Which parts of the thoracic vertebrae articulates with the ribs? What joints does it form?
- Superior csotal demifacet articulates with respective head of rib (superior) forming the costal vertebrae joint
- inferior costal demmifacet articulates with the head of inferior rib
- transverse costal facet (on transverse process) articulates with rib forming costal transverse joint
How is the spinous process of the thoracic vertebrae positioned? Why?
slanted anteriorly inferiorly to protect the spinal cord from sharp objects entering the spinal canal via the IV disc
What shape is the vertebral foramen of the thoracic vertebrae?
circular
What is special about the lumbar vertebrae? What are their main role?
largest vertebrae - there are 5 lumbar vertebrae
support weight of upper body (above pelvis - then lower limb take over)
have large vertebral bodies - kidney shaped
What do the lumbar vertebrae lack?
- no transverse foramen (for vertebral artery)
- no bifid spinous process
- no costal facets (articulate with ribs)
What is the shape of the lumbar vertebral foramen?
also triangle like cervical vertebral (for spinal cord)
triangle, circle, triangle
What is the sacrum? What is present on the sacrum and what is it’s function?
5 fused vertebrae - like an upside down triangle, apex points inferior
facets on lateral walls articulate with pelvis
forms sacro-iliac joints
What is the coccyx? what does it articulate with? What does it lack? What does this mean?
small bone articulating with the apex of the sacrum
lack of vertebral arches - so doesn’t transmit spinal cord
What are the articulating joints of the vertebrae?
- superior articulating facet x 2 (on articular process)
- inferior articulating facet x 2
- vertebral body articulating with vertebral body above and below
What type of joints are the vertebral body joints? What are they designed for? What do they allow?
cartilaginous joints with hyaline cartilage lining the bony surfaces
the are connected by a fibrocartilage IV disc
function for weight-bearing
Allow for small gliding movements
