Topic 6 questions

Question 1

What is the difference between the intervertebral foramen, vertebral foramen and the transverse foramen?

Answer 1

Intervertebral foramen: Space created by stacking vertebrae. Important structures passing through here are spinal nerve roots.

Vertebral foramen: Space through “middle” region of a vertebra. Creates the vertebral canal when vertebrae are stacked. The spinal cord passes through here.

Transverse foramen: Space through the transverse process of CERVICAL vertebrae. Important structures passing through here are the vertebral arteries.

Question 2

What is a kyphosis, lordosis, and scoliosis? Where are these “normally” found along the vertebral column?

Answer 2

A kyphosis is a “rounding” shape of the spinal column. It occurs normally in the thoracic and sacral regions, but if there is too much rounding it is referred to as an excessive kyphosis. A lordosis is an “inward curvature” of the spinal column. It occurs normally in the cervical and lumbar regions but if there is too much inward curvature, it is referred to as an excessive lordosis.