Anatomy Of Lumbar Spine

Question 1

What are the different types of vertebrae making up the spine in descending order?

Answer 1

Cervical
Thoracic
Lumbar
Sacral
Coccyx

Question 2

How many cervical vertebrae are there?

Answer 2

7

Question 3

How many Thoracic vertebrae are there?

Answer 3

12

Question 4

How many lumbar vertebrae are there?

Answer 4

5

Question 5

How many sacral vertebrae are there?

Answer 5

5

Question 6

How many Coccygeal vertebrae are there?

Answer 6

4

Question 7

What is special about the 5 sacral vertebrae?

Answer 7

Fused together to form Sacrum

Question 8

What is special about the coccygeal vertebrae?

Answer 8

Fused together

Question 9

What is the function of the spine?

Answer 9

Protects spinal cord
Bears weight
Locomotion
Posture

Question 10

What is a function of the vertebral body of a vertebra?

Answer 10

Site of Haematopoiesis

Question 11

What genes signal the development of somites?

Answer 11

HOX genes

Question 12

What do somites form?

Answer 12

Sclerotomes
Dermatomyotomes

Question 13

What is the primary curvature of the spine formed in the embryo?

Answer 13

Concave structure with the head facing forwards

Question 14

What are the 2 primary curvatures of the spine?

Answer 14

Thoracic spine
Sacrum

Called Kyphosis

Question 15

What is meant by the primary curvature of the spine?

Answer 15

Curvature formed at birth
Called Kyphosis

Question 16

What is meant by secondary curvatures?

Answer 16

Curvature not present at birth but develop through life
Called Lordosis

Question 17

What are the 2 secondary curvatures of the spine? (Lordosis)

Answer 17

Convex curvature of cervical spine

Convex curvature of lumbar spine

Question 18

How does the Cervical curvature of the spine form? (Lordosis)

Answer 18

When we can hold our head by ourself

Question 19

How does the lumbar curvature of the spine form? (Lordosis)

Answer 19

When we learn to walk

Question 20

What are some vertebral column disorders?

Answer 20

Scoliosis
Lordosis
Kyphosis

Question 21

What is Scoliosis?

Answer 21

Lateral curvature of the spine

Question 22

What is Lordosis?

Answer 22

Secondary curvature of Lumbar spine and Cervical spine which are formed after birth

Cervical Lordosis when we can hold our heads
Lumbar Lordosis when we learn to walk

Question 23

What is Kyphosis?

Answer 23

Primary curvatures of the spine which are formed before birth

Thoracic kyphosis
Sacrum kyphosis

Question 24

What are the 2 main parts of a vertebra?

Answer 24

Ventral/anterior vertebral body
Posterior vertebral arch

Question 25

What is the bony structure that joins the vertebral body to the posterior arch?

Answer 25

Pedicles

Question 26

What is the hole between the vertebral body and arch called?

Answer 26

Vertebral foramen

Question 27

When vertebrae are stacked on top of each other, what do the vertebral foramina form and what does it contain?

Answer 27

Spinal canal Spinal cord Cauda equina

Question 28

On the vertebral arch, what is the part called which sticks out posteriorly?

Answer 28

Spinous process

Question 29

What 2 components come together to form the spinous process?

Answer 29

Lamina

Question 30

Of the lumbar spine, how does the size of the lumbar vertebral bodies change as you descend the spine and why?

Answer 30

They get bigger Increase their weight bearing ability

Question 31

What are the superior and inferior articular processes?

Answer 31

Allows articulation with vertebra above and below Fascet joints

Question 32

What are the outward protrusions on theposterior vertebral arch called and what is their function?

Answer 32

Transverse process Site of muscle attachment

Question 33

How do cervical vertebrae differ to lumbar vertebrae?

Answer 33

Have holes in their transverse processes

Question 34

How are C1 and C2 specially structured vertebrae? What is their function?

Answer 34

C1 = No vertebral body + massive vertebral foramen C2 = has an extra structure called a dens (like a tooth) Allows for rotation

Question 35

How are thoracic vertebrae structured?

Answer 35

More triangle vertebral body More circular vertebral Foramen Also have articular surfaces/facet joint where they join to the ribs

Question 36

How are lumbar vertebrae structured?

Answer 36

More triangle vertebral foramen Round kidney bean shaped vertebral body

Question 37

What are the intervertebral foramina?

Answer 37

Holes by which spinal nerves (dorsal root + ventral root) leave the spinal canal

Question 38

What is the cartilage called between the vertebral bodies?

Answer 38

Intervertebral discs Hyaline cartilage line end of bones, then articulates with intervertebral disc

Question 39

What are the 2 parts to an intervertebral disc and how are they situated?

Answer 39

Nucleus pulposus (Central) Annulus fibrosis (Peripherally/surrounding nucleus pulposus)

Question 40

Why is it bad for surrounding nerves if the nucleus pulpsosus comes into contact with it when it tears?

Answer 40

It has an acidic environment

Question 41

Why does healing of the intervertebral discs take so long?

Answer 41

Avascular (Poor blood supply)

Question 42

What is the facet joint?

Answer 42

Synovial joint between inferior facet/articular process of 1 vertebra and the superior facet/articular process of the vertebra inferior to it

Question 43

What are the features of a synovial joint?

Answer 43

Hyaline cartilage Joint capsule Synovial fluid

Question 44

How are the facet joints orientated in the lumbar vertebra?

Answer 44

90º to transverse plane 45º to coronal plane So basically diagonally outwards

Question 45

What is Flexion and extension of the spine?

Answer 45

Flexion = bending forward Extension = bending backwards

Question 46

What is lateral Flexion and lateral extension?

Answer 46

Instead of bending backwards bend to the side (LATERAL FLEXION) Lateral extension = Bending body back to middle

Question 47

What other movements other than Flexion and extension does the spine allow?

Answer 47

Rotation of head and neck Rotation of upper trunk

Question 48

What are the 5 different ligaments of the vertebrae?

Answer 48

Supraspinous ligament Interspinous ligament Ligamentum flavum Posterior longitudinal ligament Anterior longitudinal ligament

Question 49

Where is the supraspinous ligament found?

Answer 49

Running on the spinous processes joining them together

Question 50

Where is the interspinous ligament?

Answer 50

Joins the superior and inferior aspects of the spinous process/arch lamina

Question 51

Where is the ligamentum flavum?

Answer 51

Forms posterior part of spinal canal

Question 52

Where is the posterior longitudinal ligament?

Answer 52

Forms anterior part of spinal canal Running along the posterior aspect of all the vertebral bodies

Question 53

Where is the anterior longitudinal ligament?

Answer 53

Front of the spinal canal

Question 54

If looking at the vertebrae list the order of the most anterior ligament to posterior ligament:

Answer 54

Anterior longitudinal ligament Posterior longitudinal ligament Ligamentum flavum Interspinous ligament Supraspinous ligament

Question 55

What sacral spinal nerves contribute to the lumbosacral plexus forming the sciatic?

Answer 55

S1 S2 S3

Question 56

What runs through the canal inferiorly through the canal of the sacrum?

Answer 56

Cauda equina

Question 57

When looking at an anterior posterior view of the spine what are we checking lines up?

Answer 57

The owl eyes (Dark spots of the pedicles) The owl beaks (Spinous processes)

Question 58

When looking at a spinal xray from the side on (longitudinal) what are you checking aligns?

Answer 58

Vertebral bodies No steps

Question 59

Why are T2 images good at viewing the spine (MRI)?

Answer 59

White is paler/white Can see how hydrated intervertebral discs are Can see the CSF very clearly