General Organization of a Vertebra

Question 1

What are the three basic osseous parts of a vertebra?

Answer 1

the vertebral body, vertebral arch, and the apophyseal regions

Question 2

What is formed by the vertebral body and vertebral arch?

Answer 2

the vertebral foramen

Question 3

What is the general shape of the vertebral body at each region of the spine?

Answer 3

cervical - rectangular; thoracic - triangular; lumbar - reniform

Question 4

What is the name given to the compact bone at the superior and inferior surfaces of the vertebral body?

Answer 4

superior epiphyseal rim, inferior epiphyseal rim

Question 5

What is the central region at the superior and inferior surfaces of the vertebral body called?

Answer 5

cancellous or spongy bone

Question 6

What is the name given to the cartilage found at the superior and inferior surface of a developing vertebral body?

Answer 6

superior epiphyseal plate, inferior epiphyseal plate

Question 7

What are the names of the openings found around the margins of the vertebral body?

Answer 7

nutrient foramina or vascular foramina

Question 8

What large opening is usually observed at the back of the vertebral body?

Answer 8

the basivertebral venous foramen

Question 9

What is the name of the vessel entering the nutrient or vascular foramen?

Answer 9

osseous artery

Question 10

What is the name given to the large vessel exiting the back of the vertebral body?

Answer 10

the basivertebral vein

Question 11

What is the semicircular region of bone attached to the back of the vertebral body called?

Answer 11

the vertebral arch

Question 12

What is the name given to the anterior part of the vertebral arch?

Answer 12

the pedicle

Question 13

What is the name given to the posterior part of the vertebral arch?

Answer 13

the lamina

Question 14

What is the name given to the intermediate part of the vertebral arch where the transverse process and articular processes attach?

Answer 14

the lamina-pedicle junction

Question 15

What is the name given to the feature located at the upper and lower surfaces of the pedicle?

Answer 15

the superior vertebral notch/incisure; the inferior vertebral notch/incisure

Question 16

What is the generic orientation of the pedicle at each region of the spine?

Answer 16

cervical - posterolateral; thoracic - posterior, slight lateral; lumbar - posterior

Question 17

All lamina are oriented in what direction?

Answer 17

posterior and median

Question 18

What ligament will attach to the lamina?

Answer 18

the ligamentum flavum

Question 19

What is the name given to abnormal bone at the attachment site of the ligamentum flavum?

Answer 19

para-articular process

Question 20

What classification of bone will para-articular processes represent?

Answer 20

accessory bone

Question 21

What is the name given to the overlap of laminae seen on X-ray?

Answer 21

shingling

Question 22

What is the name given to the lamina - pedicle junction at each region of the spine?

Answer 22

cervical - articular pillar; thoracic and lumbar - pars interarticularis

Question 23

What is the name given to the junction of the vertebral arch - spinous process on lateral X-ray?

Answer 23

the spinolaminar junction

Question 24

What is the name given to the tubular bone growth regions of the vertebral arch?

Answer 24

the apophyseal regions

Question 25

What names may be given to each apophysis of the spine?

Answer 25

the transverse apophysis or transverse process; articular apophysis or articular process; spinous apophysis or spinous process

Question 26

What is the generic orientation of the transverse process or transverse apophysis at each region of the spine?

Answer 26

cervical - anterolateral; thoracic - posterolateral; lumbar - lateral

Question 27

All non-rib-bearing vertebra of the spine retain what equivalent feature?

Answer 27

the costal element

Question 28

What is the name given to the rounded elevation at the end of the transverse apophysis or transverse process?

Answer 28

the transverse tubercle

Question 29

What will cause the transverse process/transverse apophysis to alter its initial direction in the cervical region?

Answer 29

cervical spinal nerves are pulled forward to form the cervical and brachial nerve plexuses thus remodeling the transverse process to accommodate their new position

Question 30

What will cause the transverse process/apophysis to alter its initial direction in the thoracic region?

Answer 30

the growth of the lungs remodel the shape of the ribs which in turn push the transverse processes backward

Question 31

What will the articular process/apophysis support?

Answer 31

the articular facet

Question 32

What is the name given to the joint formed between articular facets of a vertebral couple?

Answer 32

the zygapophysis

Question 33

What is the name given to the bone surface at the front of a zygapophysis?

Answer 33

the superior articular facet

Question 34

What is the name given to the bone surface at the back of a zygapophysis?

Answer 34

the inferior articular facet

Question 35

What names are given to the part of the vertebra which supports the front of the zygapophysis?

Answer 35

the superior articular apophysis, the superior articular apophysis, or the pre-zygapophysis

Question 36

What names are given to the part of the vertebra which supports the back of the zygapophysis?

Answer 36

the inferior articular apophysis, the inferior articular process, or the post-zygapophysis

Question 37

In the vertebral couple, the part of the vertebra which lies anterior to the zygapophysis is called the what?

Answer 37

pre-zygapophysis

Question 38

In the vertebral couple, the part of the vertebra which lies posterior to the zygapophysis is called the what?

Answer 38

post-zygapophysis

Question 39

What will form the posterior boundary of a typical intervertebral foramen?

Answer 39

the inferior articular process/post-zygapophysis, the superior articular process/pre-zygapophysis, the capsular ligament, and the ligamentum flavum

Question 40

What will form the superior boundary of a typical intervertebral foramen?

Answer 40

the inferior vertebral notch/incisure

Question 41

What will form the inferior boundary of a typical intervertebral foramen?

Answer 41

the superior vertebral notch/incisure

Question 42

What will form the anterior boundary of a typical intervertebral foramen?

Answer 42

the vertebral body of the segment above, the vertebral body of the segment below, the intervertebral disc, and the posterior longitudinal ligament

Question 43

What is the method of calculating the angle of the spinous process/apophysis?

Answer 43

calculate the angle formed between the undersurface of the spinous process/apophysis and the horizontal plane

Question 44

What is the name given to the normal overlap of spinous processes or spinous apophyses as seen on X-ray?

Answer 44

imbrication

Question 45

What is the name given to the rounded elevation at the tip of the spinous process/apophysis?

Answer 45

the spinous tubercle

Question 46

What is the orientation of the spinous process/apophysis at each region of the spine?

Answer 46

cervical - slight angle inferiorly; thoracic - noticeable angle inferiorly; lumbar - no inferior angle