With Student Consult Online Access 4th Edition
by Richard
number of cervical vertebrae - ANSWER 7
number of thoracic vertebrae - ANSWER 12
number of lumbar vertebrae - ANSWER 5
number of sacral vertebrae - ANSWER 5 fused vertebrae
Number of coccygeal vertebrae - ANSWER 3-4 fused vertebrae
cervical vertebrae - ANSWER small size, square-shaped, presence of foramen in
each transverse process
convex superior surface, concave inferior surface
trough-shaped transverse process
spinous process short and bifid
triangular vertebral foramen
Atlas (C1) - ANSWER connects to skull, no vertebral body
anterior and posterior arches apexing with respective tubercles
lateral masses articulate with occipital condyles on skull (bean shaped) and with axis
(flat circular)
alar ligaments - ANSWER connect dens to medial surfaces of occipital condyles,
check excessive head rotation and atlas relative to axis
Axis (C2) - ANSWER dens protrudes into atlas, connected by transverse ligament
of atlas
thoracic vertebrae - ANSWER transverse processes articulate with ribs via synovial
joints
vertebral body heart shaped
foramen circular
lumbar vertebrae - ANSWER largest
no facets at transverse processes
vertebral body cylindrical
foramen triangular
gaps between laminae allow access to vertebral canal
sacral vertebrae - ANSWER triangular, concave anterior, convex posterior surfaces
2 L-shaped facets articulate with pelvis
foramen for sacral nerves
, coccyx - ANSWER no vertebral arches and no nerves
embryonic vertebral origin - ANSWER sclerotomes from cranial parts of 2 somites
below and caudal parts of 2 somites above
vertebral body - ANSWER bears weight, linked by intervertebral discs and
ligaments
vertebral arch - ANSWER Forms the lateral and posterior parts of the vertebral
foramen
vertebral canal - ANSWER contains the spinal cord
superiorly continuous with cranial cavity
pedicles and laminae
pedicles - ANSWER bony pillars that attach the vertebral arch to the vertebral body
laminae - ANSWER flat sheets of bone that extend from each pedicle to meet in the
midline and form the roof of the vertebral arch
spinous process - ANSWER projects posteriorly and inferiorly from the junction of 2
laminae and attaches to muscles/ligaments
transverse process - ANSWER extends posteriorlaterally from junction of pedicle
and lamina and articulates with ribs in thoracic region
superior and inferior articular processes - ANSWER articulate with each other on
adjacent vertebrae
superior and inferior vertebral notches - ANSWER form intervertebral foramina
intervertebral foramina - ANSWER nerves/blood vessels pass through
posterior border is zygapophysial joint b/w articular processes of 2 vertebrae
anterior border is intervertebral disc and adjacent vertebral bodies
vertebral joints - ANSWER symphyseal joints b/w vertebral bodies
synovial joints b/w articular processes
symphyseal joints - ANSWER intervertebral disc: outer anulus fibrosis and central
nucleus pulposus
anulus fibrosus - ANSWER outer ring of collagen surrounding fibrocartilage, limits
rotation
nucleus pulposus - ANSWER center of disc, gelatinous, absorbs compression
zygapophyseal joints - ANSWER synovial joints between the articular processes on
neighboring vertebral arches
cervical: anterior/posterior slope