Physical Therapy Random Questions

How many vertebrae are there typically in the vertebral column?

The vertebral column consists of 33 vertebra

The vertebral column consists of 33 vertebra and is divided into the…

Cervical, Thoracic, Lumbar, Sacrum and Coccyx

The cervical vertebrae has…

7 individual vertebrae in the neck region.

Thoracic vertebrae has …

12 individual vertebrae in the upper back region.

Lumbar vertebrae has…

5 individual vertebrae in the lower back region.

Sacrum …

5 fused vertebrae forming a triangular bone at the base of the spine

Coccyx (tailbone) has …

4 fused vertebrae at the very end of the spine

Axis vs Planes

Flat surface that divides the body

Axis is a straight line around which an object rotates

Saggital plane

 is perpendicular to the ground and divides the body into left and right. The midsagittal or median plane is in the midline i.e. it would pass through the midline structures (e.g. navel or spine), and all other sagittal planes (also referred to as parasagittal planes) are parallel to it.

Frontal (or Coronal) Plane

is perpendicular to the ground and divides the body into dorsal (posterior or back) and ventral (anterior or front) portions.

Transverse Plane

also known as an axial plane or cross-section, divides the body into cranial (head) and caudal (tail) portions. It is parallel to the ground, which (in humans) separates the superior from the inferior, or put another way, the head from the feet.

Sagittal axis

runs horizontally from the back (posterior) to the front (anterior). It is formed by the intersection of the sagittal and transverse planes.

Frontal axis

runs horizontally from side to side (left to right). It is formed by the intersection of the frontal and transverse planes.

Vertical axis

runs vertically from the bottom (inferior) to the top (superior). It is formed by the intersection of the sagittal and frontal planes.