Vertebral Column And Lumbar Spine Flashcards
What are the 5 sections of the vertebral column and how many vertebrae are there in each?
Cervical - 7. Thoracic - 12. Lumbar - 5. Sacral - 5. Coccygeal - 4.
What are the 4 main functions of the vertebral column?
Support - skull, pelvis, upper limbs, thoracic cage.
Protection - spinal cord and cauda equina.
Movement - highly flexible structure of bones, intervertebral discs and ligaments.
Haemopoiesis - red bone marrow.
Through what part of a vertebra does the spinal cord pass?
Vertebral foramen
What shape is the vertebral body of the cervical vertebra, thoracic vertebra and lumbar vertebra?
Cervical - oval.
Thoracic -
How can the thoracic vertebrae be identified from their vertebra?
Facet for rib
What part of the vertebra interlock with the vertebra above and below?
2 superior articular processes interlock with the vertebra above.
2 inferior articular processes interlock with the vertebra below.
What connect the transverse processes of a vertebra to the spinous process?
Lamina
What connects the 2 transverse processes to the body of the vertebra?
Pedicle
What 2 parts of a vertebra make up the vertebral arch?
Lamina and pedicle
What part of a vertebra is lined with cartilage?
Superior and inferior articular processes
Through where do spinal nerves emerge from the vertebra?
Intervertebral foramina
What are the 3 main components that intervertebral discs are made of?
Water, collagen, proteoglycans.
What are the 2 regions of intervertebral discs? Where is each found?
Annulus fibrosus - peripheral.
Nucleus pulposus - central.
What part of the spine is the remnant of the notochord?
Nucleus pulposus
What part of the intervertebral discs are Type 1 collagen, and which are Type 2 collagen?
Type 1 - annulus fibrosus.
Type 2 - nucleus pulposus.
Where is the nucleus pulposus located in an infant and in an adult?
Infant - centrally.
Adult - posteriorly.
In what direct are intervertebral discs strongest?
Axial compression
What are the 5 ligaments of the spinal column, from posterior (spinous processes) to anterior (body of vertebrae)?
Supraspinous ligament. Interspinous ligament. Ligamentum flavum. Posterior longitudinal ligament. Anterior longitudinal ligament.
What ligament prevents hyperextension of the spinal column?
Anterior longitudinal ligament
What ligament prevents hyperflexion of the spinal column?
Posterior longitudinal ligament
What ligament is stretched during flexion of the spine?
Ligamentum flavum
Which ligaments do you pass through in a lumbar puncture, in the correct order?
Supraspinous ligament.
Interspinous ligament.
Ligamentum flavum.
What is primary curvature of the spine?
Kyphosis - c-shaped spine that babies are born with.
In an adult, what areas of the spine are kyphoses, and which are lordoses?
Lordoses - cervical and lumbar.
Kyphoses - thoracic and sacrococcygeal.
When do cervical lordosis and lumbar lordosis develop?
Cervical lordosis - head lifting of young child.
Lumbar lordosis - walking.
Which vertebra does the centre of pass through when standing?
C1, C2,
C7, T1,
T12, L1,
L5, S1
What is senile kyphosis?
When secondary curvatures start to disappear with old age
What part of the spinal curvature is exaggerated in pregnancy?
Lumbar lordosis
At what vertebral levels should you perform a lumbar puncture?
L3/4 or L4/5
Stress is placed on what joint by decreased disc space sue to disc degeneration, leading to osteoarthritis?
Facet joints
What is disc degeneration?
Chemical changes associated with aging causing discs to dehydrate and bulge.
What is a disc prolapse?
Protrusion of the nucleus pulposus with slight impingement into the spinal canal
Which is disc extrusion?
Nucleus pulposus breaks through annulus fibrosus, but remains within the disc space
What is disc sequestration?
Nucleus pulposus breaks through the annulus fibrosus and separates from the main body of the disc in the spinal canal.
Between which vertebra does a slipper disc most commonly occur?
L4/5 to L5/S1
What leads to corda equina syndrome?
A canal filling disc prolapse
What is sciatica and what causes it?
Compression of the nerve roots which contribute to the sciatic nerve.
Lumbar spinal stenosis, spondylolisthesis, degenerative disc disease.
Which nerve roots contribute to the sciatic nerve?
L4-S3
Do nerves exit above or below there vertebra from T1 onwards?
Below
What nerve root could be compressed in an L4/5 paracentral disc prolapse?
L5 - transversing nerve
What nerve root would be compresses in an L4/% far lateral disc prolapse?
L4 - exiting nerve
What are the main symptoms of cauda equina syndrome?
Bilateral sciatica.
Perianal numbness.
Painless retention of urine.
Urinary/faecal incontinence.
What 3 things can cause lumbar spine stenosis?
Disc bulge.
Facet joint osteoarthritis.
Ligamentum flavum hypertrophy.
What is spondylolisthesis?
A slip forwards of the vertebra above on the vertebra below
What is dysplasia spondylolisthesis?
Abnormality in the shape of the facet joints
What is isthmic spondylolisthesis?
Defect in the pars interarticularis
What is spondylosis?
Age related wear and tear to bones of spine - osteoarthritis.
What is spondylitis?
Inflammation of the joints in the spine
What is spondylolysis?
Fracture in the pars articularis
At what level does the spinal cord become the cauda equina?
Between T12 and L3
