Back

• The posterior head
• neck 
• trunk
• vertebral column (it's support)
• posterior aspect of the skull, scapula, ribs, and pelvis

• the head, upper limbs, and trunk
• the spinal cord and emerging nerves
• superficial muscles, which are functional shoulder muscles and deep muscles, which support and move the spine

• 7= cervical
• 12= thoracic (articulate with the ribs)
• 5= lumbar
• the next five are fused to form the sacrum
• the caudal most four (3-5) are fused to form the coccyx

The body

compression fracture; demineralization, trauma, or metastasis

fibrocartilaginous I intervertebral discs

• Composed of 2 pedicles and 2 laminae 
• the pedicles attach to each posterolateral aspect of the body and are directed posteriorly

• the spinal cord
• spinal cord roots
• meningeal coverings
• epidural fat
• related vessels

• bony processes
• act as lever arms for muscle attachments

from either violent muscle pulls or direct trauma

There ar two pairs--superior and inferior--each of which contains hyaline cartilage-covered facets

the superior articulating facets from one vertebra articulate with the inferior articular facets of the next higher vertebra

• Synovial joints
• zygapophyseal (facet) joints

They are relatively loose so that gliding motions are permitted betweent he articular surfaces

Thoracic and lumbar regions: the facet joints are largely vertically oriented so that vertebral dislocation is usually accompanied by fracture

Cervical: the facet joints are more horizontally situated so that disolcation can occur without fracture of the vertebra

• Bear much weight
• cervical 
• lower lumbar
• lumbosacral junction

between the pedicles of adjacent vertebrae

Anterior: posterior portion of the vertebral body and the intervertebral discs

Superior and inferior: by the pedicles

Posterior: articulating facet joints

In the middle of the anterior wall of the intervertebral foramen

it is in the lower half of the anterior wall

Important in that many types of patient complaints result from impingement on the spinal nerve (or its roots) as it exits through this opening

1) contain vertically directed foramina through which the vertebral arteries and veins pass to and from the cranial cavity; bc of this, the superior processes are trough-shaped (long and narrow) to accommodate the exiting cervical ventral rami

2) are short with exception of C6 and C7 and do not project to the skin surface

3) they typically have prominent superiorly protruding lips called uncinate processes, which articulate with the convex lateral aspects of the lower surfaces of the next higher vertebral body to form the uncovertebral or Luschka's joint

Really degenerative clefts in the lateral part of the intervertebral disc

critically located in the anterior border of the intervertebral foramen

Hypertrophic degenerative changes in these joints can impinge on the anterior aspect of the intervertebral foramen and cause symptoms of cervical nerve impingement

no body nor spinous process

has two lateral masses connected by an anterior and posterior arch

Formed by articulation of the convex superior articulating facets of the atlas and the convex occipital condyles of the occipital. Bone

allow free motion in the sagittal plane (extension, flexion)

Contains the dens or odontoid process, which extends superiorly and occupies the oval foramen formed by the arches of the atlas

• Medial atlantoaxial joints
• dens
• anterior arch of the atlas
• dens
• transverse ligament of the atlas

allow side to side rotation (the 'no' motion)

1) laminae are wide in the superoinferior direction and the spinous processes are long and directed obliquely inferiorly. this causes overlap of those with the next lower vertebra

2) existence of articular facets on both the lateral aspects of tehir bodies and the anterior aspects of their transverse processes, the latter of which forms synovial joints between teh ribs adn the thoracic vertebrae

1) laminae are not as tall (superior to inferior) as the bodies, leading to substantial interlaminar space betweent he laminae of adjacent vertebrae

2) spinous processes are short and directed posteriorly and therefore do not cover (overlap) the interlaminar space (flexion increases the size of this space)

1) fused vertebrae which have a ventral concavity; laterally, the upper sacrum presents articular surfaces, which articulate with the ilium, forming sacroiliac joints

2) they are replaced by four pairs each of dorsalyl and ventrally located sacral foramina; the upper four sacral spinal nerves are formed within the sacral spinal canal and their ventral and dorsal rami exit through the respective ventral and dorsal sascral foramina; the fifth sacral and coccygeal nerves exit through the sacral hiatus, the opening of the sacral canal onto the dorsal aspect of the lower sacrum

False: does not continue

provide stability in the maintenance of equilibrium and limit excessive motion in various directions

• axis--> upper sacrum
• covers anterior/ anterolateral aspects of the vertebral bodies and discs, lends support to these aspects of the discs and limits excessive extension

• axis--> sacrum
• situated in vertebral canal

in the thoracic and lumbar regions the posterior longitudinal ligament is hourglass shaped as it flares laterally over the posterior aspect of each intervertebral disc, also being thin

this supports the disc posterolaterally and resists spine flexion

• ligament flava
• excessive flexion 
• buffers
• extension

supra- and interspinous ligaments

• capsular ligaments
• zygapophyseal joints

• posterolateral regions
• anterior and posterior longitudinal ligaments

• annulus fibrosus 
• nucleus pulposus

tough laminated fibrocartilaginous peripheral part of the disc

the collagen fibers in each lamina run obliquely vertically and insert above and below into hyaline cartilage end plates, which cover the ends of the bertebral bodies

the fibers in each lamina spiral in opposite directions as they ascend

it surrounds the nucleus pulposus

the central nuclear zone of collagen and hydrated proteoglycans

absorb shock, permit transient compression, and allow fluid displacement within its elastic container

allows movement and distortion of the disc unit as well as distortion and movement of the entire vertebral column

since the semisolid nucleus is held together by the somewhat distortable container, any externally applied force exported upon it is transmitted undiminished to every unit area of teh interior of the container

the ability to distribute loads over the entire surface of the vertebral column to prevent undue load from being concentrated on the edge toward which the column is being bent

• thoracic 
• sacral curvatures
• dorsal convexities
• dorsal concavities
• cervical
• lumbar spine

midsagitally just in front of the second sacral segment

the line of gravity only approaches these equilibrium conditions and therefore the rotary components of gravity must be neutralized by ligamentous and muscular forces if equilibrium is to be achieved

• adjacent vertebrae
• orientation of the zygapophyseal (facet) joints
• the atlantooccipital articulation
• atlantoaxial joint
• the junction between L5 and S1

• flexion
• extension
• lateral bending
• rotation

when the spine is compressed longitudinally or forced into hyperflexion or hyperextension

encloses the deep back muscles and serves as part of the apeneuroses of origin of th elat dorsi and ab muscles from the transverse and spinous processes of the thoracolumbar spine

superficial to the fascia

• functionally muscles of the upper limb 
• innervated by ventral rami of spinal nerves through the brachial plexus

the erector spinae (innervated by branches of the dorsal rami of the spinal nerves)

flexion:(bendin forward)--> anterior ab muscle (spine flexor activity and gravity

extension: erector spinae contraction

the medial end of the spine of the scapula corresponds to the level of the tip of the spinous process of the third thoracic vertebra, or in some cases, four

the inferior angle of the scapula is lateral to the spinous process of T7 (body T8)

• facet joints
• ligaments posterior to the interverebral foramen
• deep back muscles 
• skin of the medial 2/3's of the back from the top of the head to the coccyx

• dura mater
• arachnoid
• pia mater

• fat 
• a richly anastomosing system of veins,known as the internal vertebral venous plexus

valveless veins that connect the segmental veins of the neck, thorax, abdomen, and pelvis with the veins of the cranial cavity

• thick and tough 
• forms a closed dural sac which extends inferiorly to the S1-2 vertebral level  after which the external terminal filum of hte spinal dura is formed

potential space since arachnoid is normally held tightly against the dura by the pressure of CSF contained in the subarachnoid space deep to the arachnoid

S1-2 vertebrae

• fused with the spinal cord
• follows contours of the cord and dips into fissues and suci

continues into the cranial cavity where it has a similar relationshp with the brain

continues as a single thin strand (the internal terminal filum) which extends inferiorly to become the external terminal filum of the spinal dura

conus medullaris

spinal cord and vertebra are same length and so are named accordingly in the first three months

beyond this, the vertebral column grows more rapidl in length than the spinal cord

when pulposus has escaped through a break in the annulus

small herniation= disc involved is one above the vertebra of the smae number as the involved spinal nerve

any deenerative change in the spine which results in impingement upon the contents of the spinal canal or intervertebral foramen