Week 21 - The Spine Flashcards
what are the different types of vertebrae in the spine ?
- cervical
- thoracic
- lumbar
- sacrum
- coccyx
how many cervical vertebrae do we have ?
7
how many thoracic vertebrae do we have ?
12
how many lumbar vertebrae do we have ?
5
how many sacral vertebrae do we have ?
5 fused sacral vertebrae
what is the coccyx made up of ?
3-5 fused vertebrae
how many spinal curves do we have ?
4
what are the 4 spinal curves ?
2 primary: thoracic and sacro-coccygeal
2 secondary: cervical and lumbar
what do thoracic and sacro-coccygeal curves form ?
a kyphosis
what do lumbar and cervical curves form ?
lordosis
what is scoliosis ?
lateral curve of the spine
describe the cervical vertebrae
- smallest and lightest
- C3-C7 oval body, short processes
what are the names of C1 and C2 ?
- atlas
- axis
describe the atlas (c1)
- no body
- no spinous process
describe the axis (C2)
- body
- spine
- vertebral arches
- process projects superiorly from body
describe the thoracic vertebrae
- articulate with ribs
- heart shaped body
- circular foramen
- transverse processes
- long spinous processes
describe the lumbar vertebrae
- short, thick pedicles
- triangular foramen
- flat spinous processes
- facets lock to provide stability
describe the sacral vertebrae
articulate with the innominates to form pelvic girdle
describe the coccyx
3-5 fused vertebrae
what are the 2 types of intervertebral joints ?
- vertebral body articulations
- vertebral facet articulations
describe vertebral body articulations
bodies of vertebrae are united by a fibrocartilaginous interverbal disc
describe vertebral facet articulations
- joint between articular facets of vertebral arch
- non axial diarthodial joints
describe intervertebral discs
- annulus fibrosus: outer fibrous ring
- nucleus pulposus: inner ball of firmly compressed elastic material
- 80-90% water
what are the 7 vertebral ligaments ?
- supraspinous (limits F)
- interspinous (limits F)
- facet capsulary
- ligamentum flavum (limits F)
- intertransverse (limits LF)
- posterior longitudinal (limits F)
- anterior longitudinal (limits E)