Wk 1 - Cervical Spine

Question 1

How many cervical vertebrae are there?

Answer 1

7

Question 2

What are the names of the 1st and 2nd cervical vertebrae?

Answer 2

1st = atlas
2nd = axis

Question 3

What cervical vertebrae supports the skull?

Answer 3

Atlas

Question 4

What are the components of a typical cervical vertebrae?

Answer 4

• body
• foramen transversarium
• anterior and posterior tubercle
• pedicle
• superior articular facet
• inferior articular process
• lamina
• spine
• vertebral foramen

Question 5

What is the vertebral foramen?

Answer 5

Hole in the middle that will have the cervical spinal cord in it

Question 6

What is the vertebral arch made up of?

Answer 6

Pedicle and lamina (found behind vertebral foramen)

Question 7

Describe the spinous process of the vertebrae.

Answer 7

Is bifid (2 prongs) which is typical of cervical vertebrae

Question 8

What is the function of the foramen transversarium?

Answer 8

Hole in the transverse process which the vertebral artery run in (in C1-C6. C7 has the hole but artery doesn’t travel through it)

Question 9

What are the adjacent vertebrae joined by? What are they made from? What kind of joint is it?

Answer 9

Intravertebral disks which are made largely of rings of fibre cartilage with soft centre (nucleus)

Secondary cartilaginous joint (bone-fibrous cartilage-bone)

Question 10

Spinal nerves leave the vertebral canals by running over what?

Answer 10

The pedicles

Question 11

The superior articular facet has a joint with what below it? What kind of joint is it?

Answer 11

The inferior process - synovial joint

Question 12

What are the synovial joints between the superior articular facet and the inferior process susceptible to?

Answer 12

Arthritis

Question 13

How is C7 an atypical vertebra ?

Answer 13

Has an obvious spinous process which appears to stick out. Its spinous process is also not bifid

Question 14

What makes the axis (C2) an atypical vertebra?

Answer 14

Has a superiorly projecting dens that enables rotation of the head

Question 15

What makes the atlas (C1) an atypical vertebra?

Answer 15

• only vertebrae without a body. Instead has anterior and posterior arch creating a ring joined by flat, kidney shaped facets
• Groove on posterior arch for vertebral artery
• Transverse process much wider than other and stick out (found between mastoid process and mandible)

Question 16

Describe how the head moves.

Answer 16

• There is rotation between the atlas and axis when you rotate your head. The flat facets between the atlas and axis allow this
• The atlas moves with your head and synovial joints allow the atlas to turn
• When nod head, the movement is between the atlas and occipital bone