Vertebral Column and Muscles of the Back

What is not characteristic of the atlas (C1)?

A body or spinous process

Vertebral column

A central longitudinal axis that the body is built on, which serves to support the trunk and protect the spinal cord

What is the backbone, or spine, composed of?

A number (usually 33) of discrete bones, or vertebrae, separated by fibrocartilaginous intervertebral discs and united by joints and ligaments. This arrangement lends a considerable degree of flexibility as well as strength to the entire structure.

foramen

A spinal nerve and its accompanying vessels are transmitted through each _____.

atlanto-axial joint, atlanto-occipital joint

At the _______, the chief movement is rotation ("no" movement of the head) while at the ____, the chief movements are flexion and extension ("yes" movement of the head).

Vertebral foramen

Between the posterior aspect of the body of each vertebra and its neural arch is the _________.

Vertebral canal

Collectively, the vertebral foramina form the _______, which runs the whole length of the vertebral column.

nucleus pulposus, semigelatinous

Deep to the anulus fibrosis is a softer _______. The latter is _______ and usually eccentrically placed posteriorly so that the anterior aspect of the anulus fibrosus is thicker than the posterior edge.

anulus fibrosus

Each disc has an outer ______, which is a concentrically arranged wrapping of dense fibrous tissue and thicker anteriorly.

body, intervertebral discs

Each vertebra consists of a ___ anteriorly that is weight bearing and connected to adjacent vertebral bodies by _______ ____.

adjacent vertebrae

Generally, the displacement of _____ is small, but the range of motion in the total vertebral column is considerable.

facets, articulation, transverse processes, tubercle

Generally, thoracic vertebrae have ___ on the side of the body for ______ with the heads of ribs and on _____ for articulation with the ____ of the rib.

cervical

In the ____ region, most movements are permitted because of the horizontal orientation of articular processes, nuchal ligament, and relatively thick intervertebral discs.

thoracic, articular processes, vertebral discs, spinous processes, ribs, sternum

In the ____ region, movement is limited mainly to rotation because of the frontal orientation of the ______; thin _______; overlapping _______; and attachments of the ___ and _____.

lumbar, flexion, extension, rotation

In the ____ region, the thick intervertebral discs and sagittal orientation of articular processes allow a wide range of ____ and _____ along with some lateral bending. ____ is quite limited.

posterior longitudinal

In violent hyperflexion of the vertebral column, the ______ ligament holds the posterior margins of vertebrae together.

transverse and spinous processes

Muscles and ligaments attach to ________.

C7, 12, 5, 3

Once ___ has been located, the __ thoracic spines, __ lumbar spines and __ sacral spines (the lower 2 sacral segments have no spines) can be palpated when the vertebral column is flexed.

Vertebral (neural) arch

Posteriorly, the _____ protects the spinal cord and is not weight bearing.

pedicles and laminae

Superior and inferior articular processes are located at the junctions of the _____ and ______.

intervertebral foramina

Superior and inferior notches of adjacent pedicles and intervertebral discs bound the _________.

Atlas (C1)

The ___ is highly specialized. It is ring-like with thin anterior and posterior arches and 2 lateral masses.

coccyx

The ____ consist of 3-5 (usually 4) rudimentary vertebrae at the caudal end of the vertebral column.

Axis (C2), odontoid process (dens)

The ____ has a superiorly directed _____ that forms a pivot upon which the atlas rotates.

superior angle, T1/T2, T7/T8, inferior angle

The _____ ____ of the scapula is located at the level of ____ spines and the ____ ____ is located at the level of ____ spines.

seventh, vertebra prominens

The _____ cervical vertebra has a prominent spine (________) and is usually the most superior vertebral spine that can be palpated.

primary, thoracic, sacral curvatures, concave

The _____ curvatures are formed during the fetal period, persist after birth, and consist of ____ and _________. These curvatures are ____ anteriorly.

secondary, cervical, lumbar cuvatures

The _____ curvatures, the ____ and ________, are formed postnatally in response to lifting the head and walking, respectively.

articular processes, thoracic vertebrae, sagittal

The _____ of ______ are oriented predominately in the frontal plane in the superior portion of the thoracic vertebral column. Inferiorly, articular processes tend to become ____ in their orientation.

intervertebral discs, articular processes

The ______ and ______ of vertebrae allow for movement of the vertebral column.

vertebral foramen, triangular, sagittal

The ______ is ______ to accommodate the lumbar enlargement of the spinal cord. The superior and inferior articular processes are oriented predominately in the sagittal plane.

spinous processes

The ______ of thoracic vertebrae are long, inferiorly directed, and overlap like shingles on a roof.

odontoid process

The ______ probably represents the "lost" body of C1.

vertebral canal

The _______ continues in the sacrum.

spinous process (spine)

The _______ is located in the posterior midline and is directed posteriorly/inferiorly from the junction of the laminae.

posterior longitudinal, anterior longitudinal

The _______ ligament is narrower and weaker than the _______ ligament.

anterior longitudinal

The _______ ligament provides a natural splinting action when fractures occur on the anterior aspect of the bodies of vertebrae.

ligamentum flavum, yellowish

The ________ joins the contiguous borders of adjacent laminae. These ligaments are _____ because of their content of yellow elastic tissue.

posterior longitudinal, atlas, sacrum

The ________ ligament is on the posterior aspect of vertebral bodies (within the vertebral canal) and extends from the ____ to the _____.

hyperextension

The anterior longitudinal ligament limits _______ of the vertebral column.

concave, medial, 4, spinal nerves

The anterior surface is ____ and consists of a ____ part separated from a lateral part by ___ foramina that transmit anterior rami of ____.

33, vertebrae, intervertebral discs

The backbone, or spine, is composed of ___ discrete bones, or _____, separated by fibrocartilaginous _____ ___ and united by joints and ligaments.

sacral vertebrae, sacrum

The five ______ fuse early in life forming the _____.

L3, L4

The highest point of the iliac crest is at the space between ___ and ___ spines.

sacral hiatus

The laminae of the fifth segment, and sometimes of the fourth, fail to meet and thus is produced the ________, an inferior entrance to the vertebral column.

condyles

The large, horizontally oriented superior articular processes in the lateral masses have large facets that articulate with the condyles of the occipital bone of the skull.

flexion, extension, lateral bending, and rotation

The movements of the vertebral column are ______.

70-80%, vertebral column

The nucleus pulposus contains _____ water, which allows the disc to compress when bending and act as a shock absorber for the _________.

Second sacral spine

The posterior superior iliac spine lies in a dimple at the level of the second sacral spine

Spinous processes

The recess down the middle of the back, the median furrow, lies over the tips of the _____ _____ of the vertebrae.

Median furrow

The recess down the middle of the back, which lies over the tips of the spinous processes of the vertebrae.

C7, vertebra prominens, T1

The spine of ___, the _____ _____, usually forms a marked elevation when the neck is flexed. However, the spine of ___ may be more prominent and the two should not be confused.

Nuchal ligament, supraspinous ligament

The subcutaneous spinous processes are generally palpable except in most of the cervical region where they are covered with the ____ _____, the thickened _______ _______ in this region.

supraspinous, nuchal ligament

The thickened _______ ligament in the cervical region is called the ________.

bodies, bifid, foramina, triangular vertebral foramen

The third to sixth cervical vertebrae are characterized by delicate ____; ____ spinous processes; _____ in the transverse processes; and an enlarged __________ to accommodate the cervical enlargement of the spinal cord.

pedicles, laminae, superior articular processes, inferior articular processes, transverse processes, spinous process (spine)

The vertebral arch is formed of 2 _____ and 2 _____, from which arise 2 _____, 2 ______, 2 ______, and one _______.

body regions

The vertebral column has several curves that correspond to _______.

curvatures, flexibility

These _____ of the vertebral column provide much of the ______ to the structure.

intervertebral discs, 20%

These fibrocartilaginous structures occupy the intervertebral space and are fused to adjacent vertebrae. They comprise about ____ of the length of the vertebral column.

cervical region

Where are the subcutaneous spinous processes not generally palpable?

discs, dehydrate, rehydrate, rehydration

____ tend to ____ from mechanical pressure (such as standing, walking) and _____ at rest. The ______ process becomes less efficient as we age.

ligaments

______ connect the vertebrae on all sides.

Lumbar vertebrae

______ have massive bodies, short stout pedicles, long transverse processes, and a short hatchet-shaped spinous process.

interspinous, supraspinous

______ ligaments connect the deepr aspect of adjacent spines and the superficially placed _____ ligament connects the tips of spinous processes.

transverse processes

______ project on either side at the junction of the laminae and pedicles.

Thoracic vertebrae, vertebral foramen

________ are intermediate in size between cervical and lumbar regions and increase in size inferiorly. The _____ is round.

Cervical vertebrae

________ are small and each has a foramen int he transverse processes that transmit vertebral blood vessels.

articular processes

_________ of cervical vertebrae tend to be oriented in the transverse plane.

anterior longitudinal, atlas, sacrum

the _______ ligament is a strong flat band attached to the anterior aspect of vertebral bodies and extending from the ____ to the _____.