Vertebral Column

Question 1

How many bones in the vertebral column of a fetus?

Answer 1

33 vertebrae

Question 2

How many bones in the vertebral column of an adult?

Answer 2

26 vertebrae

Question 3

what are the vertebrae of an adult and where do they differ from those of a fetus?

Answer 3

7 cervical
12 thoracic
5 lumbar
1 sacrum (5 fused)
1 coccyx (4 fused)

Question 4

What are the curves of the spine?

Answer 4

laterally, initially a fetus only has 1 curve
at 3 months of age, when an infant starts to hold their head their cervical curve changes
later, when the infant begins to sit up and walk the lumbar curve changes

Question 5

What are the primary curves of an adult spine?

Answer 5

thoracic and sacrum/coccyx
Kyphotic curves
convex posteriorly

Question 6

What are the secondary curves of an adult spine?

Answer 6

the curves that develop as a fetus - toddler
cervical and lumbar
lordotic curves

Question 7

What is the reason for the curvature of an adult spine?

Answer 7

increase the strength of vertebral column
helps maintain balance by distributing weight
helps absorb shock
helps protect the vertebrae from fractures

Question 8

What are three abnormal curves of the spine?

Answer 8

Kyphosis (can’t have without lordosis)
Lordosis (can’t have without kyphosis)
Scoliosis

Question 9

What is kyphosis?

Answer 9

exaggeration of the normal kyphotic curve
Only in the thoracic region since the coccyx is fused
commonly in elderly women due to osteoporosis

Question 10

What is lordosis?

Answer 10

Exaggeration of the normal lordotic curve
Cervical and lumbar spines
common in pregnant women

Question 11

What is the typical makeup of a vertebrae?

Answer 11

vertebral body
vertebral arch
vertebral foramen
- opening within the arch
- where the spinal cord passes through

Question 12

What is the vertebral body?

Answer 12

majority is trabecular bone (red bone marrow) surrounded by a thin layer of cortical bone
bounded by anterior and posterior longitudinal ligaments
separated by intervertebral discs
weight-bearing part of the vertebrae

Question 13

what is the vertebral arch?

Answer 13

consists of 2 pedicles and 2 laminae

Question 14

what is a pedicle?

Answer 14

• project posteriorly from the body
• vertebral notches are on the inferior and superior surfaces
• form the intervertebral foramina - where the spinal nerves enter and exit

Question 15

what is a laminae?

Answer 15

continue from the pedicles and unite posteriorly to form the spinous process

Question 16

What forms the intervertebral foramina?

Answer 16

the inferior vertebral notch of the superior vertebrae and the superior intervertebral notch of the inferior vertebrae

Question 17

what process come off the arch?

Answer 17

7 processes
- 2 superior articular processes
- 2 inferior articular processes
- 2 transverse processes - roughly where the pedicle and laminae meet
- 1 spinous process - posteriorly at the union of the laminae

Question 18

what are the 2 typical vertebral joints?

Answer 18

intervertebral discs
zygapophyseal joints

Question 19

What are intervertebral discs?

Answer 19

C2/3 to L5/S1
account for 25% of the height of the vertebral column
- annulus fibrosus - outer fibrous ring
- nucleus pulposus - soft, highly elastic

Question 20

What are zygopophyseal joints?

Answer 20

articulations between the superior and inferior articular processes of adjacent vertebrae
often referred to as facet joints
where we get our movement from

Question 21

What are the 7 cervical vertebrae?

Answer 21

C3-C6 are typical
C1, C2 and C7 are atypical
C1 is the atlas
C2 is the axis
C7 is the vertebra prominens

Question 22

what are the characteristics of the atlas?

Answer 22

atlas has no body

Question 23

what happens to body size of cervical vertebrae? Which vertebrae have smaller bodies?

Answer 23

The size of the bodies increase from C2-C7
only the coccygeal vertebrae have smaller bodies

Question 24

What vertebral section have the largest vertebral foramina?

Answer 24

the cervical vertebrae
- cervical enlargement of the spinal cord

Question 25

What spinous processes are bifid (in 2 parts) and short?

Answer 25

C2 to C6

Question 26

Each transverse process (unique to cervical spine) has a?

Answer 26

transverse foramen - vertebral artery, vein, and nerve pass-through
each transverse process arises from the pedicle and body (rather than the pedicle/laminae)

Question 27

What features of the cervical spine are seen in a lateral view?

Answer 27

articular pillars
- between superior and inferior articular processes of the same vertebra
zygapophyseal joints
- between adjacent articular pillars
should be open on a true lateral

Question 28

what is the position of the vertebral foramina?

Answer 28

open anteriorly - 45 to the midsagittal plane - also projected 15 inferiorly
to image - LPO 45 with 15 cephalad angle demonstrates right intervertebral foramina (RAO would need 15 caudad)