Vertebral Column, Spinal Cord and Back Flashcards
(96 cards)
The vertebral column is partly ____ and _____ to support posture and locomotion
rigid; flexible
The presacral vertebral column is flexible in part to _____ ____
intervertebral discs
How many vertebrae total?
What are the various sections? How many vertebrae in each?
33 total
7 cervical
12 thoracic
5lumbar
5 sacrum (fused)
4 coccyx (fused)
(Breakfast at 7, lunch at 12, dinner at 5, snack at 9 [sacrum+coccyx])
What are the 4 curvatures of the spine?
What do they provide?
Cervical
Thoracic
Lumbar
Sacral
4 curvatures provide additional flexibility
What is curvature of cervical curvature?
Concave posteriorly (natural lordosis)
What is curvature of thoracic curvature?
anteriorly (natural kyphosis)
What is curvature of lumbar curvature?
concave posteriorly (natural lordosis)
What is direction of curvature of sacral curvature?
concave anteriorly (natural kyphosis)
*not as profound in females so that coccyx protrude less into the pelvic outlet (birth canal)
What are the “high” curves and “low” curves?
High curves C5, L3
Low curves T5, S2
very important for anesthesa- spinal/epidurals
What are some abnormal curvatures?
- Excessive thoracic kyphosis
- erosion and collapse of vertebraie- osteoporosis
- Excessive lumbar lordosis
- weakened trunk musculature
- temporary in late pregnancy
- Scoliosis
- abnormal lateral curvature with rotation of vertebrae
- spinous process turn/rotate
- asymmetric weakness of intrinsic back muscles, failure of half of vertebra to develop or difference in lower limb length
- abnormal lateral curvature with rotation of vertebrae
What is purpose of bertebral body? How does their size change throughout vertebral column?
- Purpose: strengthen vetebral columb
- Increase in size as moving inferiorly
What is the vertebral arch
Formed by pedicles and laminae
What are pedicles?
2 short porcesses that join vertebral arch to vertebral body
What are the laminae?
Join with pedicles and meet midline to complete arch
What is vertebral foramen?
- Formed by arch and body
- Provides passage way for:
- spinal cord
- meinges
- fat
- spinal nerve roots
- vessels
What are the articulating facets?
- 2 superior and 2 inferior
- Form intervertebral foramina with adjacent vertebrae
- gives passage to spinal nerve roots and vessels
- Form intervertebral foramina with adjacent vertebrae
What is the spinous process?
- Projects posteriorly
- Provides attachment for deep back muscles
What are the transverse processes?
- Project posterolateral
- provides attachment for deep back muscles
What are some characteristics of the cervical vertebral bodies?
- 7 total
- Small body
- LARGE vertebral foramn
- allows spinal cord enlargement to pass
- Spinous process of C3-C5 are short and bifid
- allows more muscle attachements
- Spinous process of C7 is long- vertebra prominens
- Transverse process contain foramen (foramina transversarium)
What are the foramina transversairum?
- Foramen in the transverse processes of cervical vertebra
- Allows passage of:
- vertebral arteries
- vertebral veins
- sympathetic plexuses
- ABSENT in C7
What is the atlas vertebrae? Characteristics?
- C1
- Ring-like
- No spinous process or body
- 2 lateral masses connected by anterior and posterior arches
- concave superior articular facets form atlnato-occipital join with occipital condyle
- (where your head rests)
- Articular facet for dens (odontoid process) of C2
- how you’re allowed to turn head

What is the axis?
- C2
- Strongest cervical vertebra
- Dens- projects superiorly form body and provides a pivot for atlas to turn

What are some characteristics of thoracic vertebrae?
- Body contain one or two bilateral costal facets for articulation with head of rib
- Smaller vertebral foramn compared to cervical and lumbar regions
- Transverse processes are long and strong
- length diminishes from T1-T12
- T1-T10 contain costal facets for articulation with tubercle of corresponding rib
- Spinous process slopes significantly postero-inferiorly, overlapping sub adjacent vertebral body
How are ribs named?
- Named based on which transverse process it adheres to









