vertebral column + thoracic cage joints Flashcards
Between vertebrae, there’s 2 types of joints. Name them
Intervertebral discs (symphysis, solid joints) + zygapophyseal joints (synovial)
The intervertebral discs insert into the vertebral body through a thin layer of cartilage. What type of cartilage is it?
Hyaline cartilage
The aim of the intervertebral discs is to … and …
Keep the vertebrae together + transmit the weight
The height of the intervertebral discs increases as you move from … to …
Cranial to caudal
The height of the intervertebral disc is much greater than the width of the vertebral body in … vertebrae
Cervical
The intervertebral disc has 2 components. Name them
Anulus fibrosus + nucleus pulposus
The anulus fibrosus is made up of …
Concentric fibrous layers
Explain the way the fibres of the anulus fibrosus are arranged
Internal: vertical, middle: oblique + external: horizontal
The function of the anulus fibrosus is to … the …
Stabilize, nucleus pulposus
The nucleus pulposus is made up of …
Collagen (+ some cells)
The ECM of the nucleus pulposus contains a lot of …
Water (80%)
The nucleus fibrosus is … and …
Avascular + not innervated
Liquids are incompressible. This allows for the nucleus pulposus to resist the … of 2 things.
Compression, anulus fibrosus + weight
Liquids transmit pressure …
Into every direction with the same intensity
Liquids are maximally deformable. Therefore, the nucleus pulposus can …
Distiribute the weight in a way that it produces a proportional deformation
The zygapophyseal joints are found between the … and …
Superior + inferior articular processes
The zygapophyseal ligs. are made up of a …
Rigid and thin articular capsule
Name the 6 main ligaments of the vertebral column
Anterior + posterior longitudinal ligament, ligamentum flavum, supraspinous ligament, interspinous + intertransverse ligaments
The anterior longitudinal ligament runs anteriorly to …
The vertebral bodies
The posterior longitudinal lig. runs posteriorly to …
The vertebral bodies
Name the ligament that lines the anterior wall of the vertebral canal
Posterior longitudinal ligament
Where does the posterior longitudinal ligament insert? (in vertebrae)
Intervertebral disc + epiphyseal plate
From C2 upwards (until the occipital bone), the posterior longitudinal ligament is known as …
The tectorial membrane
Distally, the posterior longitudinal lig. becomes the …
Posterior sacrococcygeal lig.
The ligamentum flavum is …
The only elastic ligament of the body!
The ligamentum flavum runs from … to …
The lamina of one vertebra straight down to the lamina of the following one
The supraspinous ligament runs from …
The spinous processes of C7 to the sacrum
From C7 upwards (to the external occipital protuberance), the supraspinous lig. is known as …
The nuchal lig.
