Spine And Vertebrae

Front 1

number of vertebrae

Back 1

33

Front 2

number of cervical vertebrae

Back 2

7

Front 3

number of thoracic vertebrae

Back 3

12

Front 4

number of lumbar vertebrae

Back 4

5

Front 5

number of sacral vertebrae

Back 5

5, fused

Front 6

number of coccygeal vertebrae

Back 6

4, fused

Front 7

intervertebral foramen

Back 7

an opening formed by superior and inferior vertebral notches of adjacent vertebrae; DRG lie inside; dorsal and ventral roots join here

Front 8

specifics of cervical vertebrae

Back 8

smaller body; most have bifid spines; have transverse foramina for vertebral arteries and veins; atlas and axis have unique shapes

Front 9

atlas

Back 9

C1; lacks a body and spinous process; has posterior and anterior arches with tubercles and two lateral masses that contain the articular facets; supports skull

Front 10

axis

Back 10

C2; more shaped like a cervical vertebrae; has the dens that projects into the vertebral foramen of the atlas

Front 11

atlantoaxial joint

Back 11

joint formed between the atlas and the dens of the axis; the trasnverse ligament of the cruciform ligament of the atlas holds the dens in place

Front 12

vertebra prominens

Back 12

C7 long spinous processes

Front 13

specifics of thoracic vertebrae

Back 13

each contains 6 costal facets for articulation with ribs; spinous process is long and slender and contains inferior articular processes

Front 14

specifics of lumbar vertebrae

Back 14

large body; triangular vertebral foramen; superior articular processes have mamillary process

Front 15

specifics of sacral vertebrae

Back 15

fused in adults; roughly triangular in shape with anterior and posterior foramina

Front 16

sacral promintory

Back 16

anterior and superior part of the body of S1

Front 17

sacral hiatus

Back 17

aperture present where S5 lamina and spinous process are absent; leads into the sacral canal and is the interior opening of the vertebral column

Front 18

lumbrosacral joint

Back 18

joint between L5 and S1

Front 19

sacroiliac joint

Back 19

joint between the iliac portion of the pelvis and the sacrum

Front 20

specifics of the coccygeal vertebrae

Back 20

fused, small; "tailbone"

Front 21

spondylolysis

Back 21

a defect allowing part of a vertebral arch to be separate from its body

Front 22

spina bifida

Back 22

a defect of the vertebral arch resulting from the failure of fusion of the halves of the arch; usually occurs in L5 and/or S1

Front 23

anteriorly concave spinal curves

Back 23

thoracic, sacral, and coccygeal

Front 24

anteriorly convex spinal curves

Back 24

cervical (to hold up head) and lumber (to achieve upright posture, walk)

Front 25

kyphosis

Back 25

exaggerated thoracic curvature; humpback

Front 26

lordosis

Back 26

exaggerated lumbar curvature, usually due to the anterior rotation of the pelvis; swayback

Front 27

scoliosis

Back 27

abnormal lateral curvature of the vertebrae; crooked back

Front 28

supraspinous ligament

Back 28

thin, continuous; attaches tips of spinous processes from the sacrum to C7

Front 29

ligamentum nuchae

Back 29

more prominent supraspinous ligament of the cervical vertebrae

Front 30

interspinous ligament

Back 30

unite adjacent spinous processes in an oblique direction

Front 31

ligamentum flavum

Back 31

connect laminae of adjacent vertebrae

Front 32

anterior longitudinal ligament

Back 32

bind anterior surfaces of bodies and disks

Front 33

posterior longitudinal ligament

Back 33

bind posterior surfaces of bodies and disks; located in the vertebral canal

Front 34

cartilaginous joints of the vertebral column

Back 34

intervertebral joints; symphysis; fibrocartilage; slightly moveable; two parts

Front 35

anulus fibrosus

Back 35

outer fibrous part of intervertebral disks; fibrocartilage in concentric lamellae; attached to rims of vertebral bodies

Front 36

nucleus pulposus

Back 36

gelatinous central mass of intervertebral disks; remnant of notochord

Front 37

synovial joints of the vertebral column

Back 37

costotransverse, costovertebral, zygapophyseal

Front 38

costotransverse joints

Back 38

the articulation between the rib tubercle and the transverse processes

Front 39

costovertebral

Back 39

the articulation between the head of the rib and the costal facets of the vertebrae

Front 40

zygapophyseal joints

Back 40

articulations between the articular processes of the vertebreal arches; allow for gliding movement between vertebrae

Front 41

origin of spinal cord

Back 41

continuous with medulla oblongatal begins at the foramen magnum

Front 42

termination of spinal cord

Back 42

tapers to medullary cone inferiorly to the exit of the coccygeal nerve rootlets; occurs between L1 and L2, varies from T12 to L3

Front 43

why are inferior nerve roots longer than superior ones

Back 43

because the spinal cord and vertebrae do not grow at the same rate during development; the vertebral column becomes longer, dragging the inferior nerve roots along

Front 44

cervical enlargement

Back 44

spinal cord swelling from C4 to T1; accumulation of nerve cell bodies to supply upper extremities

Front 45

lumbrosacral enlargement

Back 45

spinal cord swelling from L1-S4; nerve fibers originating here supply lower extremities

Front 46

cauda equina

Back 46

collection of dorsal and ventral roots of the lumbar, sacral, and coccygeal spinal nerves that travel through the subarachnoid space; located below the level of the conus medullaris

Front 47

anterior spinal artery

Back 47

formed from branches of the vertebral arteries; distributed inferiorly in the ventral median fissure

Front 48

posterior spinal arteries

Back 48

formed from branches of the vertebral arteries; two lie dorsal to the dorsal roots of the spinal nerves

Front 49

radicular arteries

Back 49

arterial brances which enter along anterior and posterior nerve roots; supply the roots, the spinal arteries; and the spinal cord with blood

Front 50

spinal veins

Back 50

3 anterior and 3 posterior veins that drain into radicular veins; venus plexus inside vertebral column

Front 51

meninges

Back 51

3 membranes which surround the CNS and proximal portion of the PNS

Front 52

dura mater

Back 52

outermost meninge; tough; forms dural sac around CNS; spinal nerves pierce to exit; ends at S2; anchored by filum; extends along nerve roots to cover DRG and blends with epineurium

Front 53

epidural space

Back 53

space inside vertebral canal outside the dura materl contains fat, venus plexus

Front 54

arachnoid

Back 54

second meninge; lines dural sac; subdural space between it and dura mater; ends at S2

Front 55

subarachnoid space

Back 55

space between arachnoid and pia mater; filled with cerebrospinal fluid

Front 56

lumbar cistern

Back 56

subarachnoid space form L2-S2; contains cauda equina; location of lumber puncture

Front 57

pia mater

Back 57

innermost meninge; ends with the spinal cord; extends laterally of spinal nerve rootlests and roots; covers spinal blood vessels on spinal cord;

Front 58

denticulate ligaments

Back 58

lateral extensions lf pia mater between the spinal nerve roots; bind spinal cord to dural sac; only 2!!!

Front 59

filum terminale

Back 59

an extension of pia mater from the conus medullaris to the coccyx; filum of dura mater blends with it to form coccygeal ligament