VI. Regions of the Vertebral Column: Typical Cervical Vertebrae C3-C6

Question 1

What soft tissue diameter mimics the outline of the typical cervical vertebral foramen?

Answer 1

the transverse diameter of the cervical enlargement of the spinal cord

Question 2

The greatest transverse diameter of the typical cervical vertebra occurs at ____?

Answer 2

C6

Question 3

The greatest frequency of osteophytes associated with the vertebral body occurs at which typical cervical vertebral couple?

Answer 3

C5/C6

Question 4

What muscles will attach to the anterior tubercle of a typical cervical vertebra?

Answer 4

anterior scalene, longus capitis, longus colli, anterior intertranscersarii

Question 5

What muscles may attach to the posterior tubercle of a typical cervical vertebra?

Answer 5

splenius cervicis, iliocostalis cervicis, longissimus cervicis, levator scapula, middle scalene, posterior scalene, rotators and posterior intertranscersarii

Question 6

What muscles will attach to the costotransverse bar?

Answer 6

middle scalene and posterior intertransversarii

Question 7

What produces the primary tension on the transverse process that will cause remodeling in the anterolateral and inferior directions?

Answer 7

cervical spinal nerves as they are directed anterolaterally and inferiorly to form the cervical and brachial plexuses

Question 8

What is the orientation and angulation of a typical cervical transverse process?

Answer 8

60 degrees anterolaterally (from midsagittal plane), 15 degrees inferiorly (from the horizontal plane)

Question 9

What is the name given to the modification of the anterior tubercle of the C6 transverse process?

Answer 9

the carotid tubercle

Question 10

What will cause remodeling of the anterior tubercle at C6?

Answer 10

the common carotid artery

Question 11

What will occupy the typical cervical vertebra transverse foramen?

Answer 11

the vertebral artery, vertebral venous plexus and postganglionic sympathetic motor nerve fibers

Question 12

What part of the peripheral nerve system is observed in the transverse foramen of typical cervical vertebrae?

Answer 12

postganglionic sympathetic motor nerve fibers of the autonomic (involuntary or visceral) nerve system

Question 13

What is the name of the lamina-pedicle junction of typical cervical vertebrae?

Answer 13

the articular pillar

Question 14

What nerve indents the articular pillar of typical cervical vertebrae?

Answer 14

the medial branch of the dorsal ramus of a cervical spinal nerve

Question 15

What is the classic angulation of typical cervical articular facets?

Answer 15

40 to 45 degrees from the coronal plane

Question 16

Recent work suggests what angulation for typical cervical articular facets?

Answer 16

55 to 60 degrees

Question 17

What is the orientation of the typical cervical superior articular facet?

Answer 17

backward, upward, medial (BUM)

Question 18

What is the orientation of the typical cervical inferior articular facet?

Answer 18

forward, lateral, downward (FoLD)

Question 19

What muscles will attach to typical cervical articular processes?

Answer 19

the longissimus capitis, longissimus cervicis, semispinalis capitis, semipinalis cervicis, multifidis and rotators

Question 20

What muscles blend with the capsular ligament of cervical zygapophyses?

Answer 20

the semipinalis capitis, multifidus and rotator longus

Question 21

What modifications of the synovial joint are observed in the cervical spine?

Answer 21

meniscoidal folds

Question 22

What function will meniscoidal folds provide in cervical zygaphophyses?

Answer 22

they are assumed to distribute pressure across the joint surface

Question 23

The greatest range of flexion- extension among the typical cervical vertebrae occurs at which vertebral couple?

Answer 23

C5/C6

Question 24

What motions are coupled in the cervical spine?

Answer 24

lateral bending and axial rotation

Question 25

Ranges of coupled motion among the typical cervical vertebrae will be similar for what cervical vertebral couples?

Answer 25

the C2/C3, C3/C4, C4/C5 vertebral couples

Question 26

Ranges of coupled motion among the typical cervical vertebrae will begin to decrease at what cervical vertebral couple?

Answer 26

the C5/C6 vertebral couple

Question 27

What is the usual condition for the Caucasian typical cervical spinous process?

Answer 27

they are bifid

Question 28

That is the usual condition for the African-American typical cervical spinous process?

Answer 28

they are non-bifid

Question 29

What muscles may attach to the typicial cervical spinous process?

Answer 29

the spinalis cervicis, semispinalis cervicis, semispinalis thoracis, multifidis, rotators and interspinalis

Question 30

What ligaments will attach to the typical cervical spinous process?

Answer 30

the interspinous ligament and ligamentum nuchae

Question 31

What will form the posterior boundary of a typical cervical intervertebral foramen?

Answer 31

the inferior articular process (post-zygapophysis), the superior articular process (pre-zygapophysis), the capsular ligament and the ligamentum flavum

Question 32

What will form superior boundary of a typical cervical intervertebral foramen?

Answer 32

the inferior vertebral notch or inferior vertebral incisure

Question 33

What will form the inferior boundary of a typical cervical intervertebral foramen?

Answer 33

the superior vertebral notch or superior vertebral incisure

Question 34

What is the unique anterior boundary of the intervertebral foramen for the C4 spinal nerve?

Answer 34

the lateral groove of C3 and uncinate process of C4 forming the joint of Luschka