Curvatures of the Vertebral Column

Question 1

What are the names of the anterior curves, secondary curves, and compensatory curves?

Answer 1

cervical curve and lumbar curve

Question 2

What segmental levels form the cervical curve?

Answer 2

C2-T1

Question 3

What segmental levels form the lumbar curve?

Answer 3

T12-L5

Question 4

What is the traditional time of appearance of the cervical curve said to be?

Answer 4

During the last trimester in utero

Question 5

What is the time during which the “adult” cervical curve is said to appear?

Answer 5

within the first year after birth

Question 6

What developmental events are indicated in the formation of the adult cervical curve?

Answer 6

1. centers for vision and equilibrium will appear in the brain
2. musculature attaching the skull, cervical region, and upper thorax together develops
3. The head is held upright
4. The intervertebral disc height becomes greater anterior than posterior

Question 7

At what age will the infant begin to hold the head erect?

Answer 7

Usually between the third and fourth month after birth

Question 8

What is the name given to the integration of visual and motor pathways associated with holding the head erect?

Answer 8

the righting reflex

Question 9

What is the location for the apex of the cervical curve?

Answer 9

typically between C4 and C5

Question 10

What is the location for the cervical kyphosis?

Answer 10

Between occiput and C1

Question 11

What is the vertebral relationship between the cervical curve and the cervical enlargement?

Answer 11

cervical curve C2-T1; cervical enlargement C3-T1

Question 12

What infant activities are associated with the development of the lumbar curve?

Answer 12

crawling and walking

Question 13

What developmental events are indicated in the formation of the adult lumbar curve?

Answer 13

1. crawling will cause the abdomen to put tension on the lumbar region and pulls it forward
2. muscle development is promoted to compensate for the swayback of the lumbars
3. Intervertebral disc height will become greater anterior compared to posterior
4. Walking will further promote muscle and intervertebral disc development

Question 14

Which sense is a requirement for holding the head erect, standing, sitting, and walking?

Answer 14

vision

Question 15

What is the gender bias associated with lumbar curve convexity?

Answer 15

females have a greater convexity of the lumbar curve

Question 16

What is the vertebral relationship between the lumbar curve and the lumbar enlargement?

Answer 16

lumbar curve T12-L5; lumbar enlargement T9-T12

Question 17

What is the formation of the lateral curve often correlated with?

Answer 17

Faster development of the muscles on the side of handedness

Question 18

What is the time of appearance of the lateral curves?

Answer 18

They appear after 6 years old

Question 19

What locations of lateral curves are recognized

Answer 19

cervical, thoracic or dorsal, lumber

Question 20

What is the relationship between curve direction and handedness?

Answer 20

A right-handed person has a high probability for a right thoracic, left lumbar curve combination

Question 21

What is the incidence of a right thoracic, left lumbar curve combination in the population?

Answer 21

About 80% of the population demonstrates this

Question 22

What generic names identified abnormal curves of the vertebral column?

Answer 22

lordosis, kyphosis, scoliosis

Question 23

What is the definition of lordosis?

Answer 23

a forward bending condition

Question 24

What is the definition of kyphosis?

Answer 24

A humpback or hunchback condition

Question 25

What is the definition of scoliosis?

Answer 25

to the side (it is a lateral curve deviation)

Question 26

What is the clinical abnormal curvatures of the vertebral column were stressed in class?

Answer 26

military neck, humpback or hunchback, and swayback

Question 27

What is military neck?

Answer 27

A decreased anterior curve in the cervical region, a straight neck

Question 28

What is humpback or hunchback?

Answer 28

An increased posterior curve in the thoracic region

Question 29

What is swayback?

Answer 29

An increased anterior curve in the lumbar region

Question 30

What is classic classification of military neck?

Answer 30

A kyphosis

Question 31

What is classic classification of swayback?

Answer 31

A lordosis

Question 32

What does the use of the term lordotic try to imply?

Answer 32

A normal thoracic or dorsal and normal lumbar anterior curve

Question 33

What does the use of the term kyphotic try to imply?

Answer 33

A normal thoracic or dorsal and normal pelvic or sacrococcygeal posterior curve

Question 34

What does the term hyperlordotic infer?

Answer 34

An increase in the anterior curve of the cervical or lumbar region

Question 35

What does the term hypolordotic infer?

Answer 35

A decrease in the anterior curve of the cervical or lumbar region

Question 36

What does the term hyperkyphotic infer?

Answer 36

An increase in the posterior curve of the thoracic/dorsal or pelvic/sacrococcygeal region

Question 37

What does the term hypokyphotic infer?

Answer 37

A decrease in the posterior curve of the thoracic/dorsal or pelvic/sacrococcygeal region

Question 38

What are the curve classifications for military neck?

Answer 38

A kyphosis or hypolordotic curve

Question 39

What are the curve classifications for humpback or hunchback?

Answer 39

A kyphosis or hyperkyphotic curve

Question 40

What are the curve classifications for swayback?

Answer 40

lordosis or hyperlordotic curve

Question 41

What are the classifications of scoliosis according to the Scoliosis Research Society?

Answer 41

magnitude, location, direction, etiology, structural scoliosis and non-structural scoliosis

Question 42

What is often used to measure the magnitude of scoliosis?

Answer 42

the Cobb Method

Question 43

What does etiology of scoliosis mean?

Answer 43

the cause of the scoliosis

Question 44

What is structural scoliosis?

Answer 44

A more radical form of scoliosis, it may worsen, associated with structural deformities of the vertebra or intervertebral disc, frequently has a fixed angle of trunk rotation (ATR)

Question 45

What is nonstructural scoliosis?

Answer 45

A mild form of scoliosis, unlikely to worsen, not associated with structural deformities of the vertebra or intervertebral disc and lacks a fixed angle of trunk rotation (ATR)

Question 46

What is the classification of scoliosis that is unique to the individual patient?

Answer 46

idiopathic scoliosis

Question 47

What does idiopathic scoliosis infer?

Answer 47

the scoliosis is unique to the individual, it has no known cause, unknown etiology

Question 48

What is the incidence of idiopathic scoliosis in the population?

Answer 48

1%-4% of the population

Question 49

Based on age of onset, what are the types of idiopathic scoliosis?

Answer 49

infantile, juvenile, and adolescent

Question 50

What is the age range for infantile idiopathic scoliosis?

Answer 50

from birth to 3 years old

Question 51

What is the age range for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis?

Answer 51

over 10 years old

Question 52

Identify curve direction, location, gender bias and incidence of infantile idiopathic scoliosis?

Answer 52

left thoracic, male, less than 1%

Question 53

Identify curve direction, location, gender bias and incidence of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis?

Answer 53

right thoracic or right thoracic and left lumbar, females, and 80% incidence

Question 54

What is the relationship between curve deviation, incidence, and curve worsening?

Answer 54

The greater the deviation, the lower the incidence, and the more likely to worsen