Anatomy: Back & Spine

Question 1

What passes through the cervical vertebrae?

Answer 1

spinal cord and vertebral arteries

Question 2

What part of the vertebrae does the spinal cord go through?

Answer 2

vertebral foramen

Question 3

What are the primary curvatures?

Answer 3

thoracic and sacral

Question 4

What are the secondary curvatures?

Answer 4

cervical and lumbar

Question 5

What is kyphosis?

Answer 5

accentuated thoracic curvature

Question 6

What is lordosis?

Answer 6

accentuated lumbar curvature

Question 7

What is scoliosis?

Answer 7

lateral cutvature of the spine

Question 8

What causes kyphosis?

Answer 8

osteoporisis

Question 9

What causes lordosis?

Answer 9

weight gain (pregnancy)

Question 10

What makes up the vertebral arch?

Answer 10

2 pedicles, 2 lamina

Question 11

What are the 7 vertebral processes?

Answer 11

spinous
transverse (2)
articular (2 superior, 2 inferior)

Question 12

What is the most common location of vertebral fracture?

Answer 12

Pars intra-articularis (between inferior and superior articular processes

Question 13

What are facet joints?

Answer 13

synovial joints between articular processes

Question 14

What are intervertebral discs?

Answer 14

cartilagenous joints between vertebral bodies

Question 15

What are the two parts of IV discs?

Answer 15

anulus fibrosus (outisde, adheres to vertebrae)
nucleus pulposus (inside, shock absorber)

Question 16

Where are intervertebral foramina?

Answer 16

between IV discs and facet joints

Question 17

What runs through intervertebral foramina?

Answer 17

spinal nerves

Question 18

What is the orientation of the facets in each spinal region?

Answer 18

45 degrees off transverse (cervical)
frontal (thoracic)
saggital (lumbar)

Question 19

What motions happen in the lumbar spine?

Answer 19

flexion/extention

Question 20

What motions happen in the thoracic spine?

Answer 20

lateral rotation

Question 21

What motions happen in the cervical spine?

Answer 21

multi-axial

Question 22

What is the most common spinal region for mechanical injury?

Answer 22

cervical

Question 23

What makes up atlas?

Answer 23

anterior & posterior arches

articular processes

Question 24

What do the superior facets of atlas articulate?

Answer 24

occipital condyles of skull

Question 25

What motion does the atlanto-occipital joint provide?

Answer 25

nodding (yes)

Question 26

What is a Jefferson fracture?

Answer 26

C1 fracture in multiple spots (ring shaped, can't break in just one place)

Question 27

What are the three articulations of the atlanto-axial joint?

Answer 27

two lateral facets | Dens

Question 28

What motion does the atlanto-axial joint provide?

Answer 28

lateral rotation (no)

Question 29

What is a Hangman fracture?

Answer 29

fracture of C2

Question 30

How many pairs of spinal nerves are there?

Answer 30

31

Question 31

What travels through the dorsal root?

Answer 31

axons of sensory nerves

Question 32

What travels through the ventral root?

Answer 32

axons of motor nerves

Question 33

What do the dorsal rami innervate?

Answer 33

back intrinsic muscles & skin

Question 34

What is the anterior longitudinal ligament?

Answer 34

unites the anterior surface of the vertebral bodies

Question 35

What is the posterior longitudinal ligament?

Answer 35

Unites posterior surface of vertebral bodies (inside vertebral canal)

Question 36

What is the supraspinous ligament and what does it become?

Answer 36

unites spinous processes | becomes ligamentum nuchae in the cervical region

Question 37

What is the interspinous ligament?

Answer 37

adjoins adjacent spinous processes

Question 38

What is the ligamentum flavum?

Answer 38

adjoins lamina of adjacent vertebrae | sits in posterior vertebral column

Question 39

What are the extrensic muscles of the back?

Answer 39

traps lats thomboids levator spaculae

Question 40

Latissimus dorsi (OIAI)

Answer 40

O - lower back I - bicipital groove A - extends, adducts, internal rotation of humerus I - thoracodorsal nerve (C6-8)

Question 41

Trapezius (OIAI)

Answer 41

O - upper back I - clavicle, spacular spine A - elevates, rotates, retracts scapula (shrug) I - CN XI

Question 42

What are the intermediate muscles of the back?

Answer 42

serratus posterior (superior & inferior)

Question 43

What are the sections of the deep paraspinal muscles?

Answer 43

splenius (superficial) erector spinae (intermediate) transversospinalis (deepest)

Question 44

What makes up the Erector spinae?

Answer 44

iliocostalis (lateral) longissimus (middle) spinalis (medial)

Question 45

What makes up the transversospinalis?

Answer 45

semispinalis multifundus rotatores

Question 46

What lies in the vertebral canal?

Answer 46

Spinal cord and meninges

Question 47

How far down does the spinal cord extend?

Answer 47

L2

Question 48

Where does the dural sac end?

Answer 48

S2

Question 49

What is the end of the spinal cord called?

Answer 49

Conus medullaris

Question 50

What is the filum terminale?

Answer 50

Anchors the spinal cord to the coccyx

Question 51

How does a spinal nerve exit the column?

Answer 51

Exits the intervertebral foramen on the inferior side of its vertebrae, but superior to the intervertebral disc

Question 52

How many cervical spinal nerves are there?

Answer 52

8

Question 53

What are the three meninges?

Answer 53

Dura Arachnoid Pia

Question 54

Where is the dura mater?

Answer 54

Surrounds the spinal cord and extends into the intervertebral foramen (dural sleeve)

Question 55

Where is the pia mater?

Answer 55

Attached to the spinal cord

Question 56

Where is the CSF?

Answer 56

Subarachnoid space (between arachnoid and pia)

Question 57

What are denticulate ligaments?

Answer 57

Pieces of pia mater that attach to the arachnoid and anchor the cord laterally

Question 58

What sits in the epidural space?

Answer 58

Fat and epidural venous plexus

Question 59

How is the spinal cord vascularized?

Answer 59

Longitudinal arteries that anastomose with horizontal (segmental) arteries

Question 60

How many segmental arteries enter the vertebral canal?

Answer 60

8-10

Question 61

What vascularizes the inferior 2/3 of the spinal cord?

Answer 61

Great anterior segmental artery (artery of Adamkiewicz)

Question 62

What drains blood from the spinal cord?

Answer 62

Epidural venous plexus

Question 63

What is connected to the epidural plexus?

Answer 63

``` External venous plexus (anterior of body) Basivertebral plexus (bodies) ```

Question 64

What is clinically important about interconnected vertebral venous plexuses?

Answer 64

Allows a pathway for Mets to the brain and vertebral column

Question 65

What are the layers a spinal tap goes through?

Answer 65

``` Skin Supraspinous ligament Interspinous ligament Ligamentum flavum Epidural space Dura Arachnoid ```

Question 66

Where is the weak point of IV discs?

Answer 66

Posterolateral, superior to the posterior longitudinal ligament attachments

Question 67

What nerve is compressed by a L4 hernia?

Answer 67

L5. L4 leaves superiorly to the IV disc

Question 68

What nerve is compressed by a C5-C6 hernia?

Answer 68

C6