Vertebrae Flashcards
How many bones are in the vertebral column?
33
Functions of vertebral Column
Centre of gravity
Attachment for bones/trunk muscles
Passage of spinal cord
Segmental innervation if the body
Babies spine
Anterior curvature (anterior flexion)
Young adult spine
4 distinct curvatures (2 anterior concavities and 2 posterior concavities)
S shape
Sinusoidal profile
Name the curvatures
Cervical (secondary)
Thoracic (primary)
Lumbar (secondary)
Sacral (primary)
What are discrete single vertebrae?
24 separate vertebrae
All capable of movement
What are fused vertebrae?
9 fused vertebrae to give 2 fused bony structures
Sacrum and coccyx
What are the atypical discrete vertebrae?
Atlas (c1)
Axis (c2)
Vertebrae structure
Anterior- vertebral body
Posterior- vertebral arch/neural arch
Between is spinal canal
Vertebral body structure
Largest part
Weight baring
Main contact between vertebrae
Line with hyaline cartilage
Size increases from top to bottom
What are the processes that emerge from the vertebral arch?
Spinous
Transverse x2
What is the pedicle?
The part of the neural arch between the body and transverse process
What is the lamina?
The part of the Neural arch between the transverse process and spinous process
Structure of intervertebral disc
Two regions:
Central (nucleus pulposous)
Peripheral (annulus fibrosus)
Annulus fibrosus structure
Outer bands collagenous
Inner fibro-cartilaginous
Makes stronger than neural body
Surrounds nucleus pulposus
