Vertebral Column and Spinal Cord

Question 1

What are some distinctive features of cervical vertebrae? What movements do they permit?

Answer 1

• bifid spinous processes
• small wide body0
• big transverse foramen for vertebral artery
• flexion/extension and rotation

Question 2

What are some distinctive features of thoracic vertebrae?

What movements do they permit?

Answer 2

-heart shaped body
-long inferiorly pointing spinous processes
-transverse processes has facet for ribs
-superior facet faces posteriorly
-inferior facet faces anteriorly
permits mostly rotation, limited lateral flexion and extension

Question 3

What are some distinctive features of lumbar vertebrae?

What movements do they permit?

Answer 3

-large kidney shaped body
-triangular vertebral foramen
-short stubby spinous process
permits flexion and extension, lateral flexion, limited rotation

Question 4

What are intervertebral discs?

Answer 4

fibrocartilage between vertebrae that hold vertebrae together and provide stability and slight movement

Question 5

What are the 3 meninge layers from superficial to deep?

Between which two layers would you find CSF?

Answer 5

Dura mater
Arachnoid mater
Pia mater
between arachnoid and pia mater in subarachnoid space

Question 6

What artery supplies blood to the cervical, thoracic, lumbar and sacral vertebrae?

Answer 6

cervical-vertebral artery and cervical a.
thoracic-dorsal intercostal vessles
lumbar-lumbar a. subcostal a
sacral-iliosacral a

Question 7

Describe the curvature of a normal spinal column

Answer 7

cervical lordosis
thoracic kyphosis
lumbar lordosis
sacral kyphosis

Question 8

How does the curvature of the spinal column develop during growth?

Answer 8

you start off full fetus mode so youre all curled up and have primary thoracic and sacral kyphosis
secondary curvature (the lordosis ones) develops later on when youre able to stand upright and walk

Question 9

What issues can arise from spinal curvature?

Answer 9

too much thoracic kyphosis (from degenerative diseases) or too much lumbar lordisis (from being fat or pregnant)
also scolios which is lateral deviation of spinal curvature

Question 10

What is the cauda equina and why is it there?

Answer 10

the space after L1 where the spinal cord terminates and becomes a bunch of nerves. its there because the vertebral column outgrows the spinal cord

Question 11

What are components of an intervertebral disc?

Answer 11

annulus fibrosis (outer layer)
nucleus propulsus (inner layer derived from notochord)

Question 12

What are some ligaments that articulate on the spinal cord and provide stability?

Answer 12

intervertebral discs

anterior and posterior longitudinal ligaments

Question 13

What are some other ligaments of the spinal cord?

Answer 13

nuchal l.
ligamentum flava
interspinous ligaments
intertransverse ligaments
supraspinatous ligaments

Question 14

What is the cause of thoracic outlet syndrome? What issues arise form this condition?

Answer 14

cervical ribs, injury, clavicle fracture

issues arise because the subclavian artery and brachial plexus are being compressed

Question 15

What occurs when a disc is herniated? Why does it occur in the direction that it does?

Answer 15

nucleus pulposis protrudes through annulus fibrosis usually on the posterolateral side and compress nerves
because annulus fibrosis is thin posteriorly and the posterior longitudinal ligament is a little bitch

Question 16

Where are disc herniations most common? what type of pain often occurs with herniated discs?

Answer 16

in the lumbar region between L4-L5 or L5-S1, referred dermatome map type pain

Question 17

What can cause nerve impingement in the cervical region?

Answer 17

central stenosis, foraminal stenosis, herniated disc

Question 18

What causes thoracic disc herniation?

Answer 18

wear and tear/degeneration

sudden abrupt twisting

Question 19

What causes lumbar disc herniation?

Answer 19

bending, lifting heavy loads with bad mechanics

Question 20

What is spondylolysis? what can this lead to?

Answer 20

broken vertebrae due to trauma or disease

can lead to spondylolisthesis

Question 21

what is spondylolisthesis?

Answer 21

anterior displacement of vertebrae (probably most likely to happen in cervical region cause they have shit articulations

Question 22

Where does a pars interarticularis fracture occur? what does it look like on X ray?

Answer 22

between the superior and inferior articular facets between lamina and pedicles
looks like scottie dog

Question 23

What causes a compression fracture?

Answer 23

degenerated body of vertebrae usually from osteoperosis

Question 24

When does osteopenia become osteoporosis?

Answer 24

when a fracture occurs due to the thinning/decreasing mass of the bone

Question 25

Where is a LP safest? Why here?

Answer 25

between L3 and L4 in cauda equina subarachnoid space. because the spinal cord has already terminated at the conus medullaris at L1 so you dont damage anything