Skull & Spine Osteology Overview

You will find the transverse foramen in what region of the spine?

Cervical

bony case of brain, meninges, proximal portions of cranial nerve

Neurocranium

Neurocranium is made up of how many bones?

8 bones (adult):

Midline: frontal, ethmoidal, sphenoidal, occipital

Bilateral paired: temporal, parietal

facial skeleton

Viscerocranium

Viscerocranium is made up of how many bones?

14 irregular bones

How many bones make up the cranium?

22

What structure travels in the transverse foramen?

Vertebral artery

The lumbar spine presents with what type of curve if you are standing in neutral posture?

Lordotic

Which area of the moveable spine has the smallest height for it’s vertebral body?

Cervical

The function of the anterior longitudinal ligament is to:

A. prevent sidebending

B. prevent hyperflexion

C. prevent hyperextension

D. prevent rotation

C

The articulating facets form a joint between the following two structures:

A. inferior or superior facet and intervertebral disc

B. superior facet of inferior vertebrae and vertebral body

C. inferior facet of superior vertebrae and superior facet of inferior vertebrae

D. inferior facet of superior vertebrae and inferior facet of inferior vertebrae

E. superior facet of superior vertebrae and rib

C

T or F: Scoliosis is a curvature of the spine that is primarily in the frontal or coronal plane.

True

The vertebral arch is formed by the ______ and the ________

lamina, pedicle

The intervertebral discs account for _________ of the length of the spine

10%

25%

30%

15%

25%

T or F: False ribs have no connection to the sternum?

False

Functions of the axial skeleton

supports head, neck, back, chest and allows for mvmt of these regions

Protects brain, spinal cord, heart, lungs

Stores fat and minerals

Houses blood-cell producing tissue

Cervical Vertebrae

C1-C7

Curvature of cervical vertebrae

lordotic

Thoracic vertebrae

T1-T12

Curvature of thoracic vertebrae

Kyphotic

Lumbar vertebrae

L1-L5

Curvature of lumbar vertebrae

Lordotic

Sacral vertebrae

S1-S5 (fused)

Curvature of sacral vertebrae

Kyphotic

What plane are the curves of the spine in?

Sagittal plane

Why does the spine have curvatures?

act as springs to cushion axial loads; to absorb and dissipate force, allow more motion than a rigid rod

C1 is called…

atlas

C2 is called…

axis

Junction between thoracic and lumbar regions of the spine

Thoracolumbar junction

Junction between lumbar and sacral regions of the spine

Lumbosacral junction

Junction between cervical and thoracic regions of the spine

Cervicothoracic junction

Junction between cranium and cervical spine

Craniocervical junction

usually result of repeated stress or forceful hyperextension activities, especially when they are combined with rotation

typically overuse injuries

common in the young athlete whose bones have not yet reached skeletal maturity.

Pain gets better with rest

Stress fracture

slipping of one vertebra forward on another

typically occurs due to defects in the bone which usually develop during childhood

may also occur due to stress fractures in each pars interarticularis. This may occur due to excessive athletic or sporting activity involving repetitive hyperextension of the spine.

Spondylolisthesis

Lateral curvature of the spine that occurs most often during the growth spurt just before puberty.

Scoliosis

The cause of most scoliosis is ___________

unknown

disc deterioration that can cause back and neck pain

injury or the regular aging process

may go undetected unless it has irritated a nearby nerve.

Disc protrusion

A protrusion here can cause shoulder problems

Cervical region

a protrusion here may be responsible for leg weakness

Lumbar region

a protrusion here is relatively rare but can occur

Thoracic region

affects a region of bone known as the pars interarticularis

Spondylolysis

stress fracture of the lumbar spine

Spondylolysis

the zygapophysial joints (facet joints, from C2 to S1) cause back pain

Facet impingement

what motion causes facet joints to open?

flexion

what motion causes facet joints to compress?

extension

What region of the spine is the most mobile all around?

Cervical spine

The lumbar spine is good at ________ but does not have much ________

flexion, rotation

T or F: Rotation and SB decrease caudally

True

Facets compress

extension

Facets distract

flexion

Facets compress and distract

lateral flexion

What joint is this?

Atlanto Occipital Joint

What joint is this?

Atlanto-axial joint

What joint is this?

Facet joint

Guide and restrict spinal movements

Angulations differ at different levels

Facet joints

Anulus fibrosis

Nucleus pulposus

gelatinous core; “water cushion” to absorb axial loads on disk; 80-85% water

Nucleus pulposus

external fibrous ring; outer (fibrous sheet, high tensile strength, crisscross and inner zone

Anulus fibrosis

What is the function of intervertebral discs?

Function to absorb and distribute force

Why do intervertebral discs run from thinnest to thickest?

Wolf’s law, lower discs support more weight

Where are vertebral discs NOT location?

AO, AA, and sacrum

What is inside the vertebral column?

Spinal cord

What passes through the vertebral foramen

Spinal cord

Where does the spinal cord exit the skull?

Foramen magnum

Foramen magnum

What ribs are true ribs?

1-7

What ribs are false ribs?

8-10

What ribs are floating ribs?

11-12

Ribs 11-12

Floating ribs

Ribs 8-10

False ribs

Ribs 1-7

True ribs

normally connected anteriorly to sternum

True ribs

joined by costal cartilage to the cartilage of the rib directly above forming the structure of the costal margin (arch)

false ribs

terminate freely between muscles of lateral ABD wall

Floating ribs

Vertebrae/joint responsible for nodding (flexion/extension) the head

C0-C1 (Atlanto Occipital Joint)

Vertebrae/joint responsible for rotating the head

C1-C2 (Atlanto-Axial Joint)

Ligamentum Flavum

Interspinous ligament

Intertransverse ligament

Supraspinous ligament

Posterior Longitudinal ligament

Anterior longitudinal ligament

bind vertabra to one another and enable spine to withstand high mechanical loads, shearing stresses

ligaments

Vertebral body ligaments (2)

ALL, PLL

Vertebral arch ligaments

Supraspinous, interspinous, intertransverse, ligamentum flavum, nuchal

Function of anterior longitudinal ligament

prevents hyperextension of spine

Function of posterior longitudinal ligament

prevents hyperflexion of spine

Both ALL and PLL…

maintain normal curves of spine

Function of ligamentum flavum

stabilize spine in sagittal plane and limit forward flexion, connect laminae

Function of intertransverse ligaments

Limit lateral flexion and rotation

a midline ligament located at the back of the neck. It is continuous with the supraspinous ligament and plays a key role in cervical spine support

Nuchal ligament

The nuchal ligaments runs from…

external occipital protuberance to C7