Vertebral Column and Spinal Cord

How many vertebrae are there

33

How many cervical vertebrae

7

How many Thoracic Vertebrae

12

How many lumbar vertebrae

5

How many sacral vertebrae

5 fused

How many coccygeal vertebrae

3-4

Function of Vertebral Column

Support weight of trunk and protect spinal cord

Typical Vertebrae

• body

• arch

  • pedicle

  • lamina

  • spine

  • transverse process

  • articular process both superior and inferior

• vertebral Foramen

  • body and arch

• intervertebral foramen

  • vertebral notch

  • body

  • intervertebral disc

  • articular processes

Vertebral Foramen vs Canal

The vertebral foramen is the space within each vertebrae that houses the spinal cord, while the vertebral canal is the collective structure formed by all the foramen of the vertebrae stacked together, containing the entire spinal cord.

Cervical Vertebrae

• bifid spinous process

• transverse foramen

  • vertebrae artery

• vertebra prominens

  • C7

Which vertebrae does the Atlas correspond to

C1

Atlas C1

• no body

• no spinous process

• anterior arch

• anterior tubercle

• posterior arch

• posterior tubercle

• transverse process/ foramen

• articular processes

Which vertebrae does Axis correspond to

C2

Axis/ C2

dens/ odontoid process in addition to normal

Vertebral Body

lamina

spinous process

pedicle

vertebral body

superior articular process and facet

inferior articular process

spinous process

inferior costal facet

vertebral foramen/canal

inferior vertebral notch

intervertebral foramen

superior vertebral notch

intervertebral disc

vertebral body

spinous process

anterior tubercle

vertebral foramen

inferior articular process

superior articular facet

pedicle

transverse foramen

transverse process

body

lamina

anterior arch

transverse process

transverse foramen

groove for vertebral artery

posterior tubercle

posterior arch

vertebral foramen

lateral mass

articular facet for dens

dens

anterior articular facet for anterior arch of atlas

pedicle

lateral mass

transverse process

body

inferior articular facet for C3

Superior articular facet for atlas

spinous process

inferior vertebral notch

body

superior costal facet

superior articular process and facet

pedicle

transverse costal facet

transverse process

inferior articular process

posterior sacral foramina

sacral hiatus

median sacral crest

auricular surface

facets of superior articular process

base of sacrum

lumbosacral articular surface

superior articular process

Ala

promotony

anterior (pelvic) sacral foramina

Lateral part of Ala

nucleus pulposus

anulus fibrosis

compressed nerve root

vertebral body

nucleus pulposus

disc annulus

spinal cord

zygapophyseal/ facet joint

ligament flavum

interspinous ligament

supraspinous ligament

posterior longitudinal ligament

anterior longitudinal ligament

intervertebral disc

lumbar vertebral body

anterior longitudinal ligament

posterior longitudinal ligament

posterior surface of vertebral bodies

cut surface of pedicle

cut surface of pedicle

ligamentum flavum

lamina

cervical curvature