THE VERTEBRAL COLUMN

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THE VERTEBRAL COLUMN

• FORM AND COMPOSITION

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VERTEBRAL COLUMN

• AN S-SHAPED SPRING COMPOSED OF 26 VERTEBRAE
  ALTERNATING WITH FIBROCARTILAGINOUS
  INTERVERTEBRAL DISKS
• 33 SEPERATE IN CHILDREN
• ADULTS-5 FUSE TO FORM SACRAL, 3-5 FUSE TO FORM
  COCCYX

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VERTEBRAL COLUMN

• ADULT SPINE
• 7 CERVICALS
• 12 THORACICS
• 5 LUMBARS
• 1 SACRAL
• 1 COCCYX

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FUNCTIONS

• SUPPORTS BODY, PROVIDING A FRAMEWORK FOR
  SUSPENSION OF ORGANS
• INTERVERTEBRAL DISKS ACT AS SHOCK ABSORBERS

• PROTECTS SPINAL CORD AND SPINAL NERVES FROM
  COMPRESSION
• ALLOWS BENDING AND TWISTING, BUT OTHERWISE LIMITS
  MOTION

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THE FOUR SPINAL CURVATURES

• THORACIC AND SACRAL CURVES ARE PRESENT IN FETUS
  (PRIMARY CURVES)
• OTHERS (SECONDARY) DEVELOP AFTER BIRTH

• PROVIDE SPRING RESILIENCY
• ANTERIOR CONVEX CERVICAL
• POSTERIOR CONVEX THORACIC
• ANTERIOR CONVEX LUMBAR
• POSTERIOR CONVEX SACRAL

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VERTEBRAE

• IRREGULAR SHAPE
• SEPERATED FROM EACH OTHER BY INTERVERTEBRAL DISKS
• COMPONENTS
• BODY/ BODIES BECOME PROGRESSIVELY LARGER FROM
  THIRD CERVICAL TO FIRST SACRAL
• NUERAL ARCH-PROTECTS SPINAL CORD

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COMPONENTS (CONT.)

• INTERVERTEBRAL FOREMEN FOR PASSAGE OF SPINAL
  NERVES AND BLOOD VESSELS
• LATERAL PEDICLES AND POSTERIOR LAMINAE

• PROCESSES FOR MUSCLE ATTACHMENTS MEDIAL SPINOUS
  PROCESS
• LATERAL TRANSVERSE PROCESS ON EACH VERTEBRA

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COMPONENTS (CONT.)

• ARTICULAR PROCESSES
• TWO SUPERIOR
• TWO INFERIOR
• PRODUCE THE ARTICULATIONS BETWEEN ADJACENT
  VERTEBRA

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CERVICAL VERTEBRAE (C1 TO C7)

• SUPPORT HEAD, ENABLE IT TO MOVE UP, DOWN, AND
  SIDEWAYS
• HAVE TRANSVERSE FORAMINA FOR PASSAGE OF VERTEBRAL
  ARTERIES

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C1 (ATLAS)

• RINGED SHAPED
• SUPPORTS HEAD
• HAS NO SPINE OR BODY
• FORMS ATLANTICOOCIPITAL JOINT WITH OCCIPITAL
  CONDYLES
• ARTICULATES WITH C2
• ENABLES NODDING (YES) MOTION OF HEAD

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C2 (AXIS)

• THE DENS OF THE AXIS FORMS A PIVOT JOINT WITH THE
  ATLAS
• FACILITATING THE NO MOTION OF THE HEAD

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VERTEBRA PROMINENS (C7)

• CHARACTERIZED BY A LONG SPINOUS PROCESS WITH
  TUBRICLE AT TIP
• EASILY FELT AND SEEN THROUGH SKIN

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THORACIC VERTEBRAE (T1 TO T12)

• T1 TO T4 SIMILAR TO CERVICALS
• T5 TO T8 ARE TYPICAL THORACIC VERTEBRAE
• T9 TO T12 RESEMBLE LUMBARS
• EACH THORACIC VERTEBRAE HAS THREE COSTAL FACETS
  WHERE RIBS ARTICULATE

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LUMBAR VERTEBRAE (L1 TO L5)

• LARGEST AND STRONGEST
• HUGE BODIES WITH WIDE, STUBBY SPINOUS PROCESSES
• STUBBY SPINOUS PROCESSES FOR ATTACHMENT OF LOWER
  BACK MUSCLES

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L1 TO L5 (CONT.)

• POSITION OF ARTICULAR PROCESSES LIMIT MOTION TO
  FORWARD AND BACKWARD BENDING
• SPINAL CORD GENERALLY ENDS BETWEEN L1 AND L2
• SPINAL TAPS DONE BELOW THIS POINT

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SACRUM

• FIVE FUSES VERTEBRAE FORM WEDGE-SHAPED BONE
• ARTICULATES WITH HIPBONES AT SACROILIAC JOINTS TO
  FORM PELVIS
• MIDLINE GAP(SACRAL HIATUS) IS SITE FOR INJECTION
  OF ANAESTHESIA (SPINAL BLOCK)

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COCCYX

• TAILBONE
• THREE TO FIVE FUSED BONES