vertebral column Flashcards
Four Curvatures
Cervical,Thoracic, lumbar, Sacral
-> like a spring, provides flexible support
Function of the Vertebral Column
skeleton of the back ; to protect the spinal cord , supports weight of the trunk
33 vertebrae - 7 cervical ,12 Thoracic, 5 Lumbar, 5 Sacral , 4 Coccygeal
Thoracic / Sacral Curvature
Concave anteriorly inversely they will be convex posteriorly
- if we exaggerate the convexity posteriorly = Kyphosis ( hunchback)
Cervical/Lumbar Curvature
Concave Posteriorly that means inversely they would be Convex anteriorly
-> if this is exaggerated clinically they would have lordosis ( saddleback) when the person looks pushed forward
Lateral Deviation of the Vertebral Column
Scoliosis
Movement of Vertebral Column
- from the compressibility and elasticity of the inner vertebral discs
(discs between the vertebral bodies) - Flexion, Extension, Lateral Flexion, Lateral Extension, and rotation
Movement of Vertebral Column : Flexion
Decrease of the angle ; bowing down
Movement of Vertebral Column: Extension
Increase the angle , go back to the original position
Movement of Vertebral Column: Lateral Flexion/extension
Side to Side
Movement of Vertebral Column: Rotation
Moving in a circular motion
Vertebrae
individual bone making up the vertebral column made up of different parts ; Vertebral body, Pedicles, Lamina, Vertebral Arch, Vertebral Foramen , Vertebral Canal, Vertebral Notches ( Superior and Inferior) , Intervertebral Foramen, Spinous Process, Transverse Process, Articular Processes (facet)
Vertebral Body
Largest part ; located anteriorly - when going in from abdominal pelvic cavity or thoracic cavity
- > Helps to support body weight
- > Very strong
- > outer rim has a epiphyseal rim = kinda like a lip , the intervertebral disc sits right in there and because there is an embankment/enlargement here it keeps the discs from squeezing out which would be a herniated disc , that could compress some of the nerve roots and cause some problems
Pedicles
Coming off vertebral body ; Two bilateral posterior bony projections
-> connecting the anterior to the posterior
Lamina
Bilateral posterior medial projections of the pedicles
Vertebral Arch
Made up of the bilateral pedicles and the laminae posterior to the vertebral body ; if we include the posterior vertebral body that means we have inclosed the vertebral arch
-> Vertebral arch + Posterior vertebral body = Vertebral Foramen
Vertebral Foramen
Help to protect the spinal cord ; if we articulate the vertebral foramen
-> Vertebral canal ; which is a better way to protect the spinal cord because it will provide continuous bony canal for which the spinal cord to exist
Vertebral Notches
Lateral Curvatures of the pedicle ; superior and inferior notches which will articulate and cause a intervertebral foramen
Superior and Inferior Vertebral Notches -> Intervertebral Foramen
Spinous Process
posterior median projection of the vertebral arch at junction of lamina
Transverse Process
Posterior lateral projection of the junction of the pedicle and laminae
Articular Process (Facet)
Allow the individual vertebrae to connect to each other
-> two superior, two inferior each with an articular surface (facet joint). Arise from junction of pedicles and laminae
Regional Characteristics: Cervical Vertebrae
Smallest body , large triangular foramen,
transverse foramina (hole that transmits the vertebral artery)
- Vertebral Artery comes from the subclavian artery , runs bilaterally up through cervical vertebrae through the holes of the transverse process and then gets up to C1 joins together, becomes the basilar artery goes up into foramen magnum ; provides arterial blood to posterior 1/3 of the brain ( circle of willis)Regional Characteristics: Cervical Vertebrae Part 2
C1 and C2 are atypical cervical vertebrae
C1 doesn’t have vertebral body ; instead has anterior and posterior arches , where there are arches they come together in the midline , there are anterior and posterior tubercles ; muscles attached to those posterior tubercles
spinous processes tend to be short in C3,C4,C5
Bifid ( or split ) in C2-C6
Largest - C7 , aka Vertebral Prominens, put hand on back of neck C7
Regional Characteristics: Cervical Vertebrae - C1
-Atlas; holds up the skull ;Has no body or spinous process
Has anterior and posterior arch and where they fuse in the midline have tubercles
Posterior arch- groove for vertebral artery to come out of the transverse foramen, run towards the midline and join and become the basilar artery that goes up into the brain
Rather than having one vertebral body, has paired lateral masses ( instead of coming in the middle , has large things that are coming off to the side)
Regional Characteristics: Cervical Vertebrae - C1;
Paired Lateral Masses
Do two things
1. give rise to the transverse processes
2. Serve as superior articular surfaces for occipital condyles
- allows skull to attach to C1
- also allows skull to rock back and forth when your nodding your head yes
- c1 is going to rotate on c2
Regional Characteristics: Cervical Vertebrae - C2
- Axis
- C1 rotates on the axis of C2 ; serves as a pivot
- Has a superior articular facets for C1 rotation
- Dens (Odontoid Process) pivot for rotation held in place by transverse ligament( strongest part of cruciform ligament) and alar ligament
- C1 on occipital condyle - YES
- C1 ,C2- NO
Regional Characteristics: Thoracic Vertebrae
More typical - heart shaped body
Costal Facets for articulation with ribs - easiest way to identify
Small vertebral foramen
T1-T4 look more like cervical vertebra, and T9-T12 look more like lumbar vertebrae - this means that it gets bigger as it goes down because it becomes more weight bearing
Regional Characteristics: Lumbar Vertebrae
Largest body
Triangular foramen , couple of bumps not really significant
Transverse process
Mammillary process on the superior articular process
L5 is the largest of the lumbar ; it is weight bearing, going to articulate with S1 , where the weight of the trunk will be transmitted to the trunk to the pelvis down to the lower extremeties
Regional Characteristics: Sacrum
Like a shield, inverted pyramid. Base articulates with L5 at S1. It is weight bearing, however decreases as it goes down. S1 will have the greatest weight bearing , S5 will have the least.
- Helps to form the roof and wall of the pelvic cavity
- It has a sacral canal that will transmit sacral nerves and sacral foramen (anterior and posterior) where those sacral nerves will enter and exit the body and communicate peripheral to the CNS
Regional Characteristics: Sacrum part 2
S1 has a anterior bump called the sacral promontory
Posterior aspect has sacral crest - fused transverse, spinous, and articular processes
Median sacral crest will be fused transverse processes intermediate will be the articular process and lateral will be the transverse processes and all fused . Opening when you get to C4/C5 , called sacral hiatus , actually a little space there where you can see the sacral nerves that is going to be covered by the coccygeal ligament which is going to attach the coccyx to the sacrum
Regional Characteristics: Coccyx
four fused coccygeal vertebrae
Tailbone
Why is Sacrum important?
not very significant, but can kill you if you fall and break sacrum
esp. when you are elderly
Ligaments
attach to vertebral column ;anatomical position - remove all the organs , will encounter anterior vertebral body that will have a ligament called anterior longitudinal ligament
- limits extension/prevents hyperextension ( whiplash injury)
Posterior Longitudinal Ligament - posterior aspect
-Resists hyper-flexion / Posterior Herniation
;touching your chin to your chest ,get in sports injuries
Ligamenta Flava
On the other side of the vertebral canal
Go from Lamina to Lamina
Not really to strong
Go out to spinous processes
Interspinous Ligament
In between the spinous processes ; weak
Supraspinous Ligament
Connect / running at tips of the spinous processes ( on top)
Nuchal Ligament
Goes from inion ( bump on the back of your head) all the way down to C5,C6 or C7; Thick fibril connective tissue
Joints of the Vertebral Column - Atlanto-Occipital - C1 and occipital condyles
this is your yes joint
Anterior/Posterior atlanto-occipital membranes limits movement
Joints of the Vertebral Column - Atlantoaxial-C1( Atlas) C2 (axis)
No joint
Alar ligament limits movement
Rupture of cruciform ( transverse part) ligament allows dens to move
-> atalantoaxial dislocation ->served spinal cord
Facet joint
aka zygopophysial joint- between superior and inferior articular process
fairly close to the intervertebral foramen
Joint of vertebral body
-non synovial joints
-specialized for weight bearing and strength
-Intervertebral disc between adjacent vertebral bodies serves as a shock absorber and allows for movement
-outer area called the annulus fibrosis that sits in the epiphyseal rim
-inside the annulus fibrosis is a fluid filled inner nucleus pulpous
(semi solid gel) ; as we get older gets more rigid and get things like osteoarthritis and limits our mobility tendency to herniate the disc
- no disc btwn C1 and C2
sacroiliac joint
- Joint between the sacrum and ileum
- Transmits weight of upper body to hips in turn to the legs and then to the floor
- Anterior and posterior sacroiliac ligaments are part of joint capsule
- Interosseous sacroiliac ligaments transfer weight to lower limb
- limited mobility ; area of high stress ; doesn’t get damaged often
Vasculature ( blood supply) - arteries of vertebral column
Vertebral Column is made of bone which is alive ( needs active blood supply)
- will be supplied by segmental arteries ; artery in the cervical thoracic, lumbar region that will branch and supply these
- Cervical will be vertebral in the neck
- Posterior intercostal in thorax
- Lumbar in abdomen
- Illiolumbar lateral and medial sacral in pelvis
- all of them will give off Periosteal branches that will give to the bone
Veins of Vertebral Column
Periosteal veins are the ones once nutrients have been absorbed , take out the waste products and get them out of the bone
Plexus is valveless important because no valve - with cancer can cause metastatic cancer
