Day 26 (Typical lumbar spine: L1-L4, Atypical lumbar vertebra:L5, Miscellaneous Lumbar questions)

Question 1

What muscles will attach to lumbar superior articular processes?

Answer 1

multifidis and intertransversarii

Question 2

What ligament will attach to the lumbar superior articular process and transverse process?

Answer 2

mammillo-accessory ligament

Question 3

What was believed to be entrapped by the mammillo-accessory ligament?

Answer 3

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

Question 4

What is the joint classification for the typical lumbar zygapophysis?

Answer 4

synovial plane (diarthrosis arthrodia)

Question 5

How many synovial joints are present on a typical lumbar vertebra?

Answer 5

four

Question 6

What is the position of the lumbar zygapophysis in children?

Answer 6

the zygapophysis lies in the coronal plane

Question 7

What is the position of the lumbar zygapophysis in adults?

Answer 7

the zygapophysis lies in the sagittal plane for L1/L2, L2/L3, and L3/L4; the zygapophysis lies in the coronal plane for L4/L5 and L5/S1

Question 8

What name is given to zygapophyses between vertebral couples which lie in the same plane?

Answer 8

joint symmetry

Question 9

What names are given to the condition in which one zygapophysis of a vertebral couple lies in the coronal plane or position and the other zygapophysis lies in the sagittal plane or position?

Answer 9

joint asymmetry or joint tropism

Question 10

What is the name(s) of the condition in which the typical lumbar spinous process increases in length due to the aging process?

Answer 10

Baastrup’s syndrome or “kissing spines”

Question 11

What muscles will attach to the typical lumbar spinous process?

Answer 11

latissimus dorsi, serratus posterior inferior, iliocostalis lumborum, longissimus thoracis, spinalis thoracis, multifidis, rotator longus, rotator brevis, and interspinalis

Question 12

What is the appearance of the fifth lumbar vertebral body from the lateral view?

Answer 12

anterior height is greater than posterior height by several millimeters; it appears to form a wedge on a lateral X-ray view

Question 13

How many joint surfaces are present on the vertebral body of the fifth lumbar?

Answer 13

six

Question 14

How many synovial joint surfaces are present on the vertebral body of the fifth lumbar?

Answer 14

none

Question 15

How many cartilaginous (amphiarthosis) symphysis joint surfaces are present on the vertebral body of L5?

Answer 15

two

Question 16

How many fibrous (amphiarthrosis) syndesmosis joint surfaces are present on the vertebral body of L5?

Answer 16

four

Question 17

What muscle(s) attach to the fifth lumbar vertebral body?

Answer 17

psoas major

Question 18

What is the orientation of the fifth lumbar superior articular facet?

Answer 18

backward, upward, medial (BUM); typically concave

Question 19

What is the orientation of the fifth lumbar inferior articular facet?

Answer 19

forward, lateral, downward (FoLD); significant convexity

Question 20

What is the name given to the congenital condition in which the fifth lumbar spinous process is elongated, the sacrum exhibits a spina bifida, and dorsiflexion produces pain?

Answer 20

Knife Clasp Syndrome

Question 21

What muscles will attach to the fifth lumbar spinous process?

Answer 21

latissimus dorsi, iliocostalis lumborum, longissimus thoracis, multifidis, rotator longus, rotator brevis and interspinalis

Question 22

How many synovial joints are maximally observed at each lumbar vertebra?

Answer 22

L1-L5 = four each

Question 23

How many joints are traditionally observed at each lumbar vertebral body?

Answer 23

L1-L5 = six each

Question 24

What is the inferior articular facet orientation at each lumbar vertebra?

Answer 24

L1-L5 = forward, downward, lateral (FoLD)