Week 3: Anatomy for Neuraxial Anesthesia

Question 1

How many bones are in the vertebral column?

Answer 1

33 sequentially interconnected

Question 2

What are the bones in the vertebral column separated by?

Answer 2

fibrocartilaginous disks

Question 3

Where does the vertebral column start? End?

Answer 3

base of skull to tip of coccyx

Question 4

Where are anterior curves of the vertebral column?

Answer 4

cervical and lumbar

Question 5

Where are the posterior curves of the vertebral column?

Answer 5

thoracic ans sacral

Question 6

What anatomical landmark is located at C7?

Answer 6

vertebra promins

Question 7

What anatomical landmark is located at T7?

Answer 7

inferior angle of the scapula

Question 8

What anatomical landmark is located at L4?

Answer 8

tuffier’s line

body of L4 or L4-L5 interspace

Question 9

Define the sacral hiatus

Answer 9

lamina of last sacral vertebra is incomplete

Question 10

What are the 8 structures you transverse with a needle for an spinal anesthetic procedure?

Answer 10

skin, subcutaneous fat and tissue, supraspinous ligament, interspinous ligament, ligamentum flavum, epidural space, dura and subarachnoid space

Question 11

What are the three layers of the spinal cord?

Answer 11

dura mater
arachnoid mater
pia mater

Question 12

What is the filum terminae?

Answer 12

fibrous band that extends from the conus medullaris to the coccyx. it fixates and stabilizes the distal SC

Question 13

Describe the characteristics of the dura mater (2)

Answer 13

outermost tough fiberous later

extends from foramen magnum to S2-S3

Question 14

Describe the characteristics of the arachnoid mater (3)

Answer 14

delicate middle layer
non vascular
ends at S2

Question 15

Describe the two characteristics of the subarachnoid space?

Answer 15

between pia and arachnoid

CSF found here

Question 16

Describe the two characteristics of the pia mater?

Answer 16

highly vascular and covers spinal cord

Question 17

Describe the 2 characteristics of the subarachnoid space?

Answer 17

between pia and arachnoid

CSF found here

Question 18

Describe the two characteristics of the pia mater?

Answer 18

highly vascular and covers spinal cord

Question 19

What three structures compose the lower spinal cord?

Answer 19

conus medularis
filum terminae
cauda equina

Question 20

What comprises the epidural space?

Answer 20

continuous space within vertebral canal

fat, arteries, veins, lympathetics, nerve roots

Question 21

What is the average distance from the skin to the lumbar epidural space?

Answer 21

5 cm

Question 22

What is the specific gravity of CSF?

Answer 22

1.003-1.009

Question 23

How is arterial blood distributed?

Answer 23

segmental and longitudinal arteries

Question 24

How much blood supply does the anterior supply the spinal cord?

Answer 24

2/3

Question 25

What is the largest longitudinal artery?

Answer 25

artery of adamkieicz

supplies lower 2/3 of SC via anterior spinal artery

Question 26

What feeds the anterior spinal artery?

Answer 26

anterior segmental medullary vessels of aorta

Question 27

How many posterior arteries supply the spinal cord and how much blood do they supply?

Answer 27

2

1/3 of blood supply

Question 28

Do epidural veins have valves?

Answer 28

no

Question 29

Where are epidura veins prominently located?

Answer 29

lateral

Question 30

Where are epidural veins prominently located?

Answer 30

lateral