Chapter 7: Axial skeleton; the vertebral column Flashcards
How many bones are in the vertebral column?
26 located in 5 different regions
How many vertebrae are in the cervical curvature?
7 vertebrae C1-C7
What is the transverse foramen?
Two holes on each side of the vertebrae
What is another name for C1?
Atlas, joins with occipital condyles
What is another name for C2?
axis. The atlas rotates on the axis
What is another name for C7?
vertebra prominens. It has a large spinous process
How many thoracic vertebrae are there?
12 and they are referred to as T1-T12
What are costal facets?
Where the ribs join the thoracic vertebrae
How many lumbar vertebrae are there?
5 referred to as L1-L5. They are the largest vertebrae’s
What is the sacrum?
It is the largest vertebra. It is 5 vertebrae fused into one
What is the median sacral crest?
a crest that goes down the posterior side of the sacrum.
What is the coccyx?
smallest vertebra. It is made up of 4 vertebrae fused into one.
Also called the tailbone
How many curvatures does the vertebral column have?
newborns have 1 convex curvature (curves outward from the back)
Eventually it develops into 4 curvatures
Cervical curvature
Forward curve (concave)
formed by cervical vertebrae in the neck about 3 months after birth
Thoracic curvature
convex (backwards curve)
formed by thoracic vertebrae in the upper neck
Lumbar curvature
concave curve (forward curve)
formed by the lumbar vertebrae in lower back about 1 year after birth
Sacral curvature
Convex (backwards curve);
formed by the sacrum and coccyx in sacral region
What is the vertebral body in a typical vertebra
main flat part
What is the vertebral foramen?
large opening that the spinal cord goes through
What is a spinous process?
most posterior part of the vertebra.
What muscle attaches to the spinous process?
latissimus dorsi muscle
What are the transverse processes?
Projections that project laterally. This is also where the ribs connect at the costal facets
Superior articular processes
join with inferior articular processes above
