Vertebral Column And Lumbar Spine

Question 1

What are the 5 sections of the vertebral column and how many vertebrae are there in each?

Answer 1

Cervical - 7.
Thoracic - 12.
Lumbar - 5.
Sacral - 5.
Coccygeal - 4.

Question 2

What are the 4 main functions of the vertebral column?

Answer 2

Support - skull, pelvis, upper limbs, thoracic cage.
Protection - spinal cord and cauda equina.
Movement - highly flexible structure of bones, intervertebral discs and ligaments.
Haemopoiesis - red bone marrow.

Question 3

Through what part of a vertebra does the spinal cord pass?

Answer 3

Vertebral foramen

Question 4

What shape is the vertebral body of the cervical vertebra, thoracic vertebra and lumbar vertebra?

Answer 4

Cervical - oval.

Thoracic -

Question 5

How can the thoracic vertebrae be identified from their vertebra?

Answer 5

Facet for rib

Question 6

What part of the vertebra interlock with the vertebra above and below?

Answer 6

2 superior articular processes interlock with the vertebra above.
2 inferior articular processes interlock with the vertebra below.

Question 7

What connect the transverse processes of a vertebra to the spinous process?

Answer 7

Lamina

Question 8

What connects the 2 transverse processes to the body of the vertebra?

Answer 8

Pedicle

Question 9

What 2 parts of a vertebra make up the vertebral arch?

Answer 9

Lamina and pedicle

Question 10

What part of a vertebra is lined with cartilage?

Answer 10

Superior and inferior articular processes

Question 11

Through where do spinal nerves emerge from the vertebra?

Answer 11

Intervertebral foramina

Question 12

What are the 3 main components that intervertebral discs are made of?

Answer 12

Water, collagen, proteoglycans.

Question 13

What are the 2 regions of intervertebral discs? Where is each found?

Answer 13

Annulus fibrosus - peripheral.

Nucleus pulposus - central.

Question 14

What part of the spine is the remnant of the notochord?

Answer 14

Nucleus pulposus

Question 15

What part of the intervertebral discs are Type 1 collagen, and which are Type 2 collagen?

Answer 15

Type 1 - annulus fibrosus.

Type 2 - nucleus pulposus.

Question 16

Where is the nucleus pulposus located in an infant and in an adult?

Answer 16

Infant - centrally.

Adult - posteriorly.

Question 17

In what direct are intervertebral discs strongest?

Answer 17

Axial compression

Question 18

What are the 5 ligaments of the spinal column, from posterior (spinous processes) to anterior (body of vertebrae)?

Answer 18

Supraspinous ligament.
Interspinous ligament.
Ligamentum flavum.
Posterior longitudinal ligament.
Anterior longitudinal ligament.

Question 19

What ligament prevents hyperextension of the spinal column?

Answer 19

Anterior longitudinal ligament

Question 20

What ligament prevents hyperflexion of the spinal column?

Answer 20

Posterior longitudinal ligament

Question 21

What ligament is stretched during flexion of the spine?

Answer 21

Ligamentum flavum

Question 22

Which ligaments do you pass through in a lumbar puncture, in the correct order?

Answer 22

Supraspinous ligament.
Interspinous ligament.
Ligamentum flavum.

Question 23

What is primary curvature of the spine?

Answer 23

Kyphosis - c-shaped spine that babies are born with.

Question 24

In an adult, what areas of the spine are kyphoses, and which are lordoses?

Answer 24

Lordoses - cervical and lumbar.

Kyphoses - thoracic and sacrococcygeal.

Question 25

When do cervical lordosis and lumbar lordosis develop?

Answer 25

Cervical lordosis - head lifting of young child. | Lumbar lordosis - walking.

Question 26

Which vertebra does the centre of pass through when standing?

Answer 26

C1, C2, C7, T1, T12, L1, L5, S1

Question 27

What is senile kyphosis?

Answer 27

When secondary curvatures start to disappear with old age

Question 28

What part of the spinal curvature is exaggerated in pregnancy?

Answer 28

Lumbar lordosis

Question 29

At what vertebral levels should you perform a lumbar puncture?

Answer 29

L3/4 or L4/5

Question 30

Stress is placed on what joint by decreased disc space sue to disc degeneration, leading to osteoarthritis?

Answer 30

Facet joints

Question 31

What is disc degeneration?

Answer 31

Chemical changes associated with aging causing discs to dehydrate and bulge.

Question 32

What is a disc prolapse?

Answer 32

Protrusion of the nucleus pulposus with slight impingement into the spinal canal

Question 33

Which is disc extrusion?

Answer 33

Nucleus pulposus breaks through annulus fibrosus, but remains within the disc space

Question 34

What is disc sequestration?

Answer 34

Nucleus pulposus breaks through the annulus fibrosus and separates from the main body of the disc in the spinal canal.

Question 35

Between which vertebra does a slipper disc most commonly occur?

Answer 35

L4/5 to L5/S1

Question 36

What leads to corda equina syndrome?

Answer 36

A canal filling disc prolapse

Question 37

What is sciatica and what causes it?

Answer 37

Compression of the nerve roots which contribute to the sciatic nerve. Lumbar spinal stenosis, spondylolisthesis, degenerative disc disease.

Question 38

Which nerve roots contribute to the sciatic nerve?

Answer 38

L4-S3

Question 39

Do nerves exit above or below there vertebra from T1 onwards?

Answer 39

Below

Question 40

What nerve root could be compressed in an L4/5 paracentral disc prolapse?

Answer 40

L5 - transversing nerve

Question 41

What nerve root would be compresses in an L4/% far lateral disc prolapse?

Answer 41

L4 - exiting nerve

Question 42

What are the main symptoms of cauda equina syndrome?

Answer 42

Bilateral sciatica. Perianal numbness. Painless retention of urine. Urinary/faecal incontinence.

Question 43

What 3 things can cause lumbar spine stenosis?

Answer 43

Disc bulge. Facet joint osteoarthritis. Ligamentum flavum hypertrophy.

Question 44

What is spondylolisthesis?

Answer 44

A slip forwards of the vertebra above on the vertebra below

Question 45

What is dysplasia spondylolisthesis?

Answer 45

Abnormality in the shape of the facet joints

Question 46

What is isthmic spondylolisthesis?

Answer 46

Defect in the pars interarticularis

Question 47

What is spondylosis?

Answer 47

Age related wear and tear to bones of spine - osteoarthritis.

Question 48

What is spondylitis?

Answer 48

Inflammation of the joints in the spine

Question 49

What is spondylolysis?

Answer 49

Fracture in the pars articularis

Question 50

At what level does the spinal cord become the cauda equina?

Answer 50

Between T12 and L3