Thoracic Spine & Ribs Anatomy Flashcards
(17 cards)
What are some functions of the thoracic spine and rib cage?
- protect vital organs
- transfers load to/from lower/upper halves of body
- posture
- helps with respiration
What does the thorax consist of?
- Ribs
- thoracic vertebrae
- sternum
What does the rigidity of the thorax give?
- stable base
- protection
- mechanical bellows
What are the typical and atypical thoracic vertebrae?
Typical: T2-T10
Atypical: T1, T11-12
transition zones are prone to injury
What plane are the facets orientated in the thoracic spine?
- frontal plane
- 15-25 degrees from vertical
potential for movement restriction by adjacent costovertebral/transverse joints
What are classified as true, false, and floating ribs?
True: 1-7
False: 8-10
Floating: 11 & 12
What are the 3 layers of the posterior trunk muscles?
Extrinsic:
1) superficial: shoulder area muscles
2) intermediate: serratus posterior superior/inferior
Intrinsic:
3) deep: erector spinae, transversospinal, short segmental
What are the respiratory muscles?
- Diaphragm
- scalenes
- intercostals
What is the only functional unit that “acts” like the thoracic spine?
Middle: greatly influenced by rib cage and acts like thoracic spine
Upper & CT and Lower & TL junctions act more like the cervical & lumbar spine respectively
What are the arthrokinematics of the motions of the spine?
Flexion: sliding up & anterior
Extension: sliding down/posterior
Lateral flexion: slide contralateral
Axial rotation: slide contralateral
Where do most of the osteokinematics come from in the 4 motions of the spine?
Flexion: 35 thoracic, 50 lumbar
Extension: 20, 35
Lateral flexion: 25, 20
Axial rotation: 35, 5
What are the two motions of the ribs that help with respiration?
- Pump handle: sagittal plane (upper ribs)
- Bucket handle: middle-lower ribs
How are the posterior trunk and adjacent musculature innervated?
- uses dorsal rami with no plexus
How is the anterior trunk innervated?
- ventral rami
- intercostal nerves
- recurrent meningeal nerves
- mixed sensory/sympathetic nerve supply
Where are the sympathetic chain ganglia located in the thorax?
- just anterior to rib heads and costovertebral joints
rib head function could be related to nerve pain
Where does the spinal canal narrow and where is the tension point?
- T4-9 is the critical zone where the spinal cord narrows
- T6 is the tension point
- mobility in these regions may be associated w/ altered neural dynamics
T4 syndrome
What are the 2 neurovascular bundles involved in TOS?
- Inferior trunk of brachial plexus (C8-T1)
- Subclavian artery
