Lumbar Spine and Miscellaneous Lumbar Questions

Question 1

What is the generic shape of the typical lumbar vertebral body from the cranial view?

Answer 1

reniform or kidney-shaped

Question 2

What accounts for the direction of lumbar curve?

Answer 2

vertebral body and intervertebral disc have a greater anterior height than posterior height

Question 3

How many joint surfaces are present on the vertebral body of a typical lumbar?

Answer 3

six

Question 4

How many cartilaginous (amphiarthorsis) symphysis joint surfaces are on a typical lumbar vertebral body?

Answer 4

two

Question 5

How many synovial joint surfaces are present on the vertebral body of a typical lumbar?

Answer 5

none

Question 6

How many fibrous (amphiarthrosis) syndesmosis joint surfaces are a typical lumbar vertebral body?

Answer 6

four

Question 7

What muscle(s) may attach from the second down to the fourth lumbar vertebral body?

Answer 7

psoas major

Question 8

Psoas minor will only attach to the vertebral body of which segment?

Answer 8

T12, L1

Question 9

What is the name given to ligaments that attach the vertebral body to articular process?

Answer 9

transforaminal ligament

Question 10

What ligaments attach the vertebral body to the transverse process?

Answer 10

corporotransverse ligaments

Question 11

Hofmann ligaments are identified in which region along the vertebral column?

Answer 11

cervical - upper thoracic region and lumbar region

Question 12

Cervical - upper thoracic Hofmann ligaments will attach what structures together?

Answer 12

dura mater to segments above

Question 13

What is the highest level known to demonstrate Hofmann ligaments?

Answer 13

C8

Question 14

What is the proposed function of the cervical - upper thoracic Hofmann ligaments?

Answer 14

resist caudal movement of the dural sac;

resist gravitational forces on the dura and cord

Question 15

Lumbar Hofmann ligaments will attach what structures together?

Answer 15

dura mater to lower segmental levels

Question 16

What is the proposed function of the lumbar Hofman ligaments?

Answer 16

resist cranial movement of the dural sac during flexion

Question 17

What osseous conditions of lumbar vertebrae facilitate a spinal tap in this region?

Answer 17

overlap of the laminae, shingling, diminishes;

overlap of spinous processes, imbrication, diminishes

Question 18

What is the name of the elevation near the origin of the lumbar transverse process?

Answer 18

accessory process

Question 19

A styloid process occurs with what frequency and as a result of what condition?

Answer 19

7% occurrence as a result of congenital elongation of the lumbar accessory process

Question 20

What muscle(s) attach to the lumbar accessory process?

Answer 20

longissimus thoracis and intertransversarii

Question 21

What muscles may attach to the transverse process of a typical lumbar vertebrae?

Answer 21

psoas major, quadratus lumborum, longissimus thoracis, rotator brevis, rotator longus, intertransversarii

Question 22

What muscles will attach to lumbar superior articular process?

Answer 22

multifidis and intertransversarii

Question 23

What ligament will attach to the lumbar superior articular process and transverse process?

Answer 23

mammillo-accessory ligament

Question 24

What was believed to be entrapped by the mammillo-accessory ligament?

Answer 24

medial branch of the dorsal ramus of a lumbar spinal nerve

Question 25

What is the joint classification for the typical lumbar zygapophysis?

Answer 25

synovial plane (diarthrosis arthrodia)

Question 26

How many synovial joints are present on a typical lumbar vertebra?

Answer 26

four

Question 27

What is the position of the lumbar zygapophysis in children?

Answer 27

lies in the coronal plane

Question 28

What is the position of the lumbar zygapophysis in adults?

Answer 28

lies in the sagittal plane for L1/L2, L2/L3, L3/L4; | in the coronal plane for L4/L5, L5/S1

Question 29

What is the name given to zygapophysis between vertebral couples that lie in the same plane?

Answer 29

joint symmetry

Question 30

What names are given to the condition in which one zygapophysis of a vertebral couple lies in the coronal plane or position and the other zygapophysis lies in the sagittal plane or position?

Answer 30

joint asymmetry or joint tropism

Question 31

What is the name of the condition in which the typical lumbar spinous process increase in length due to the aging process?

Answer 31

Baastrup's syndrome or "kissing spines"

Question 32

What muscles will attach to the typical lumbar spinous process?

Answer 32

latissimus dorsi, serratus posterior inferior, iliocostalis lumborum, longissiumus thoracis, spinalis thoracis, multifidis, rotator longus, rotator brevis, interspinalis

Question 33

What is the appearance of the fifth lumbar vertebral body from the lateral view?

Answer 33

anterior height is greater than posterior height by several millimeters; it appears to form a wedge on lateral X-ray view

Question 34

How many joint surfaces are present on the vertebral body of the fifth lumbar?

Answer 34

six

Question 35

How many synovial joint surfaces are present on the vertebral body of the fifth lumbar?

Answer 35

none

Question 36

How many cartilaginous (amphiarthrosis) syndesmosis joint surfaces are present on the vertebral body of L5?

Answer 36

two

Question 37

How many fibrous (amphiarthrosis) syndesmosis joint surfaces are present on the vertebral body of L5?

Answer 37

four

Question 38

What muscle(s) attach to the L5 vertebral body?

Answer 38

psoas major

Question 39

What is the orientation of the fifth lumbar superior articular facet?

Answer 39

backward, upward, medial (BUM); | typically concave

Question 40

What is the orientation of the fifth lumbar inferior articular facet?

Answer 40

forward, lateral, downward (FoLD); | significant convexity

Question 41

What is the name given to the congenital condition in which the fifth lumbar spinous process is elongated, the sacrum exhibits spina bifida, and dorsiflexion produces pain?

Answer 41

Knife Clasp Syndrome

Question 42

What muscles will attach to the fifth lumbar spinous process?

Answer 42

latissiumus dorsi, iliocostalis lumborum, longissimus thoracis, multifidis, rotator longus, rotator brevis, interspinalis

Question 43

How many synovial joints are maximally observed at each lumbar vertebra?

Answer 43

L1-L5 = four each

Question 44

How many joints are traditionally observed at each lumbar vertebral body?

Answer 44

L1-L5 = six each

Question 45

What is the inferior articular facet orientation at each lumbar vertebra?

Answer 45

L1-L5 = forward, downward, lateral (FoLD)