vertebral column Flashcards
coccyx?
small triangular tail bone formed by fusion of the four coccygeal vertebrae
what is the back?
- posterior aspect of the trunk, inferior to neck and superior to buttocks
- includes muscles, vertebral column, ribs and neuromuscular structures
what is the vertebral column composed of?
vertebrae and intervertebral discs
Is the vertebral column main part of the axial skeleton?
Yes
functions of vertebral column?
- protect spinal cord and spinal nerves
- support weight of body
- aid in posture and movement
what is the vertebrae, and what are the 5 regions?
- consists of 33 vertebrae arranged in 5 regions
- 7 cervical
- 12 thoracic
- 5 lumbar
- 5 sacral
- 4 coccygeal
what are the parts of the vertebra?
- vertebral body
- vertebral arch (pedicle and laminae)
7 processes of vertebra?
- 2 transverse process
- 1 spinous process
- 2 superior articular process
- 2 inferior articular process
what is the vertebral body?
- anterior part of the bone and supports bw
- separated from above and below by intervertebral discs
what is the vertebral arch?
- U-shaped and posterior to vertebral body
- has two main parts
what is pedicles?
- project posteriorly from vertebral body
- form side of vertebral arch
- b/n transverse process and body
what is laminae?
- form posterior part of vertebral arch
b/n spinous process and transverse process
what are spinous processes?
- project posteriorly from vertebral arch at junction of laminae
- attachment site for ligaments and muscles
what are transverse processes?
- project from each side of the vertebral arch posterolaterally
- project at the junctions of the pedicles and laminae
what are superior and inferior articular processes?
- arise from the junctions of the pedicles and laminae
- form zygapophysial (facet) joints
what is vertebral foramen?
- bounded anteriorly by the vertebral body and laterally and posteriorly by vertebral arch
- forms the vertebral canal (spinal canal) which contains the spinal cord
what is the intervertebral foramen?
- formed by superior and inferior vertebral notches
- vertebral notches are indentations observed superior and inferior to each pedicle
- spinal nerves emerge from the vertebral column through this foramen
what are the cervical vertebrae?
- form skeleton of the neck
- located b/n cranium and thoracic vertebrae
- range and variety of movement of all vertebral regions
what are the cervical vertebrae features?
- small bodies
- large vertebral foramen
- transverse foramina
- bifid spinous process
- c1-c7
what is c1/atlas
- lacks body and spinous process
- ring-shaped
- has anterior and posterior arches separated by two lateral masses
- articulate with occipital condyles to form atlanto-occipital joint
- has inferior articular fovea for axis to form lateral atlanto axial joint
- anterior arch of atlas articulates with dens of axis - median atlanto axial joint
what is c2/axis
- has blunt tooth-like dens/odontoid process, which projects superiorly from body
- held in place by transverse ligament of atlas
what is c7/seventh cervical vertebra
- small transverse foramen that transmits vertebral vein
- has long or prominenet unbifid spinous process and its called vertebra prominence, used to count vertebrae
what is thoracic vertebrae?
- lie in upper back
- articulate with ribs / costal facets
- limited range of motion
what are the features of thoracic vertebra?
- vertebral bodies are heart shaped
- has circular vertebral foramen
- articular processes are more or less vertical/frontal plane
- spinous processes are long and curved down wards
- transverse process bear costal facets for articulation with ribs
where is costal facets located on thoracic vertebra?
- contain costal facets on their bodies for articulation with the heads of ribs
what is lumbar vertebrae?
- located in lower back
- largest of all movable vertebrae
- articular processes extend vertically, with articular facets oriented sagittally
what are the features of lumbar vertebrae?
- vertebral body is large and kidney shaped
- vertebral foramen is triangular
- spinous process is thick and horizontal
- articular facets face medial/lateral
- long blunt transverse processes
what is sacrum?
- large triangular wedged-shaped
- formed by fusion of five sacral vertebrae
- located between hip bones
- transmits weight of body to pelvic girdle
features of sacrum?
- has base (formed by s1) and apex (articulates with coccyx)
- laterally articulates with ileum and forms sacroiliac joint
- has concave ventral pelvic surface and dorsal surface which is rough and convex
what are the five crests of sacrum?
- median sacral crest, formed by fused spinous processes
- intermediate sacral crest, formed by fused articular processes
- lateral sacral crest, formed by fused transverse processes
what does the transverse lines of sacrum do?
- four transverse lines on this surface indicate where fusion of sacral vertebrae occurred
does the vertebral canal continue as sacral canal in sacrum?
yes
sacral hiatus of sacrum?
- on dorsal surface of sacrum, there is inverted U-shaped sacral hiatus
- sacral hiatus into sacral canal
