Vertebral Column

Question 1

the veryebral column is composed of

Answer 1

33 vertebrae:
7 cervical
12 thoracic
5 lumbar
5 sacral
4 coccygeal seperated from each other by intervertebral discs

Question 2

structure of a typical vertebrae

Answer 2

1. vertebral body
2. vertebral arch composed of two pedicle and two lamina
3. vertebral foramen between body and arch transmits spinal cord
4. intervertebral foramens transmit the spinal nerves
5. seven processes (2 transverse, 2 superior articular, 2 inferior articular, 1 spine)

Question 3

properties of a typical cervic vertebra

Answer 3

• the body is small and oval
• the foramen is large & triangular
• the transverse processes are short, bifid with a foramen (foramen transversarium) which transmit vertebral artery vein
• the spine is short and bifid
  7th cervical vertebra (atypical) (vertebra prominens) its has the longest not bifid spinous process

Question 4

what is the atlas

Answer 4

• its the 1st cervical veryebra
• its ring-shaped and has 2 lateral masses connected by an anterior arch and a posterior arch
-each lateral mass articulates above with an occipital condyle of the skull, and below with the superior articual process of axis vertebra

Question 5

what is the axis

Answer 5

its the 2nd cervical veryebra and its characterized by the large tooth- like dens (odontoid process), which extends superiorly from the vertebral body

Question 6

typical thoracic vertebra, lumbar vertebra, comparision between vertebrae and ligaments of intervertebral joints are read only

Answer 6

from slide 19-22 + slide 24 + slide 30

Question 7

whats the sacrum

Answer 7

• the 5 sacral vertebrae join to form one mass known as the sacrum
• it is roughly triangular with a base above & apex below and has 4 anterior & 4 posterior sacral foramina

Question 8

whats the coccyx

Answer 8

the coccygeal segments join to form one mass known as the coccyx

Question 9

joints of the vertebral column

Answer 9

they articulate with each other by cartilaginous joints between their bodies and by synovial joints between their articular processes

Question 10

function of the intervertertebral discs

Answer 10

• act as shock absorbers
• their elasticity allows the rigid vertebrae to move one on the other
  -their elasticity is gradually lost with advancing age
  (type: secondary cartilaginous)

Question 11

structure of the joints of the vertebral column

Answer 11

• the upper and lower surfaces of the bodies of the vertebrae are covered by thin plates of hyaline cartilage
• between the plates of hyaline cartilage is an intervertebral disc of fibrocartilage
• each intervertebral disc consists of:
  1. peripheral part, the anlous fibrous is composed of concentric layers of fibrocartilage
  2. central part, the nucleus pulposus is an ovoid mass of gelatinous material contains amount of water, a small number of collagen fibers and a few cartilage cells
  its normally under pressure and situated slightly nearer to the posterior than to the anterior margin of the disc

Question 12

what effects does intervertebral disc herniation have

Answer 12

• leads to compression of spinal nerves and neurological manifestations
• sensory like numbess pain or sensory loss or motos as muscle weakness

Question 13

what effects does intervertebral disc degeneration have

Answer 13

as effect of aging and disc degeneration thus limiting the ability of the disc to absorb shock

Question 14

joints between vertebral arches (zygapophyseal joint) type and articular surfaces

Answer 14

type: plane synovial
articular surfaces: between the superior and inferior articular processes of adjacent vertebrae, the articular facets are covered with hyaline cartilage, and the joints arr surrounded by a capsular ligament

Question 15

ligaments of the spine (vertebral arches?)

Answer 15

1. Supraspinous ligament: between the tips of adjacent spines
2. Interspinous ligament: connects adjacent spines
3. Intertranverse ligament: between adjacent transverse processes
4. ligamentum flavum: commects the lamomae of adjacent vertebrae
5. Ligamentum nuchae: in the cervical region, the supraspinous and interspinous ligamnets are greatly thickened to form the strong ligamentym nuchae

Question 16

movement of the vertebral column

Answer 16

flexion: is movement forward
extension: is a backward movement
(both are extensive in cervical and lumbar regions, but restricted in the thoracic region)
lateral flexion: is the bending of the body to one or the other side
it is extensive in the cervical and lumbar regions but restricted in the thoracic region
rotation: is a twisting of the vertebral column, this is the least extensive in the lumbar region
circumduction is a combination of all these movements

Question 17

atlanto-occipital joints articulation, type and movements

Answer 17

type: synovial ellipsoid joint, biaxial
articular surfaces: Occipital condyles above, and the superior articular surface of the atlas vertebra below
movements: extension, forward and lateral flexion

Question 18

atlantoaxial joints

Answer 18

1. the medial atlantoaxial joints
2. the lateral atlantoaxial joints

Question 19

the median atlantoaxial joint type and articulation

Answer 19

articular surface: between the odontoid process and the anterior arch of the atlas
type: pivot synovial (rotation)

Question 20

the lateral atlantoaxial joint type and articulation

Answer 20

articular surface: inferior surface of articular surface of the atlas and the superior axial articular facets
type: plane synovial

Question 21

curves of the vertebral column

Answer 21

• in the fetus, the vertebral column has one continuous anterior concavity
• after birth, when the child becomes able to raise his head the cervical part of the vertebral column becomes conves anteriorly (cervical lordosis)
• towards the end of the first year, when the child begins to stand upright, the lumbar part of the vertebral column becomes convex anteriorly (*lumbar lordosis)

Question 22

abnormal curves of the vertebral column

Answer 22

1. kyphosis: is an increase in the sagittal curvature present in the thoracic part of the vertebral column
causes: by muscular weakness or by structural changes in the vertebral bodies or by intervertebral discs
2. lordosis: is an exaggeration in the sagittal curvature present in the lumbar region
3. scoliosis: is a lateral deviation of the vertebral column
its most commonly found in the thoracic region