BPK 241 EXAM SCRIPT 2026 FULL QUESTIONS
AND CORRECT ANSWERS GRADED A+
● what part of the spine develops lordotic curves? Answer: Cervical and
Lumbar
● what part of the spine develops Kyphotic curves? Answer: Thoracic
and Sacral
● How many vertebrae are there? also how many true/false Answer: 33
- vertebrae
24 - true
9 - false
● Features of the spine are: Answer: Spinous process
Transverse process
Pedicle
Lamina
vertebral body
Facet joints
,● What are C1 and C2 of the spine called? Answer: Atlas and axis
● typical vs atypical vertebrae: Answer: Typical: Contains a vertebral
body
Atypical: Doesn't contain a vertebral body
● How are the facets for cervical, thoracic and lumbar spine oriented?
Answer: Cervicale: Oriented horizontally; allowing fair amount of
movement in each direction
Thoracic: One overlaps the other; allows all movement but more
rotational because the facet joints can slide over each other.
Lumbar: Oriented in a sagittal plane; allows a lot of flexion/extension
but not so much rotation
● As we go down the spine, what happens to the vertebral body?
Answer: it gets bigger
● what is the anatomy, function and type of joints for intervertebral
discs? Answer: Anatomy:
Lies between vertebral bodies, consists of annulus fibrosis, and nucleus
pulposus.
,Function:
Cushioning and Stability
Joints:
fibrocartilaginous joint; found between disc and vertebral body
Synovial joint; facet joint( 4 per vertebrae)
● What happens with each layer of Annulus fibers? Answer: With each
layer, the orientation of the collagen fibers changes; making the annulus
fibrosis stronger
● what is the difference between the anterior and posterior side of the
annulus fibrosis? Answer: its thicker anteriorly and thinner posteriorly.
● Which layer of the annulus fibrosis receives nerve and blood supply?
Answer: The outer most layer
● Annulus fibrosis when bending and rotating...? Answer: Allows for
compression of the disc when bending.
Tightens up when rotating
, ● Describe the behavior of the nucleus pulposus. Answer: Nucleus
pulposus is like a liquid and is not compressible.
applied force creates outward radial pressure in all directions inside the
disk.
● Why does the nucleus pulposus have a high water content? Answer:
Because its filled up with proteoglycan fibers that are proteins fibers and
hydrophilic. They draw water into the disk.
● How do different body postures affect compressive and tensile forces
on the intervertebral disc? Answer: Different body postures significantly
change the compressive load on the disc and the tensile stress in the
annulus fibrosus.
Supine has the lowest load
Standing and sitting increase compression
Bending and loading (especially when sitting and
slumped) cause the highest compression and tension
AND CORRECT ANSWERS GRADED A+
● what part of the spine develops lordotic curves? Answer: Cervical and
Lumbar
● what part of the spine develops Kyphotic curves? Answer: Thoracic
and Sacral
● How many vertebrae are there? also how many true/false Answer: 33
- vertebrae
24 - true
9 - false
● Features of the spine are: Answer: Spinous process
Transverse process
Pedicle
Lamina
vertebral body
Facet joints
,● What are C1 and C2 of the spine called? Answer: Atlas and axis
● typical vs atypical vertebrae: Answer: Typical: Contains a vertebral
body
Atypical: Doesn't contain a vertebral body
● How are the facets for cervical, thoracic and lumbar spine oriented?
Answer: Cervicale: Oriented horizontally; allowing fair amount of
movement in each direction
Thoracic: One overlaps the other; allows all movement but more
rotational because the facet joints can slide over each other.
Lumbar: Oriented in a sagittal plane; allows a lot of flexion/extension
but not so much rotation
● As we go down the spine, what happens to the vertebral body?
Answer: it gets bigger
● what is the anatomy, function and type of joints for intervertebral
discs? Answer: Anatomy:
Lies between vertebral bodies, consists of annulus fibrosis, and nucleus
pulposus.
,Function:
Cushioning and Stability
Joints:
fibrocartilaginous joint; found between disc and vertebral body
Synovial joint; facet joint( 4 per vertebrae)
● What happens with each layer of Annulus fibers? Answer: With each
layer, the orientation of the collagen fibers changes; making the annulus
fibrosis stronger
● what is the difference between the anterior and posterior side of the
annulus fibrosis? Answer: its thicker anteriorly and thinner posteriorly.
● Which layer of the annulus fibrosis receives nerve and blood supply?
Answer: The outer most layer
● Annulus fibrosis when bending and rotating...? Answer: Allows for
compression of the disc when bending.
Tightens up when rotating
, ● Describe the behavior of the nucleus pulposus. Answer: Nucleus
pulposus is like a liquid and is not compressible.
applied force creates outward radial pressure in all directions inside the
disk.
● Why does the nucleus pulposus have a high water content? Answer:
Because its filled up with proteoglycan fibers that are proteins fibers and
hydrophilic. They draw water into the disk.
● How do different body postures affect compressive and tensile forces
on the intervertebral disc? Answer: Different body postures significantly
change the compressive load on the disc and the tensile stress in the
annulus fibrosus.
Supine has the lowest load
Standing and sitting increase compression
Bending and loading (especially when sitting and
slumped) cause the highest compression and tension
