Chapter 8, Lesson 3: The Vertebral Column and Thoracic Cage

Flashcards from Chapter 8, Lesson 3 of McGraw Hill Anatomy and Physiology, Ninth Edition, by Kenneth S. Saladin.

Spine functions

Supporting and protecting the skull, trunk, and spinal cord by absorbing stresses

Vertebral regions

• 7 cervical vertebrae

• 12 thoracic vertebrae

• 5 lumbar vertebrae

• 5 sacral vertebrae

• 4 vertebrae in the coccyx

Primary curvature

The first C-shaped convex curve at birth; persists as the thoracic and pelvic spine

Secondary curvatures

Develop with crawling and walking in childhood; creates the cervical and lumbar areas concave curves

Final curvatures

Spine turns into an S shape: cervical lordosis, thoracic kyphosis, lumbar lordosis, and pelvic kyphosis

Lordoses curve in, kypohses curve out

Abnormal curvatures

Can result from disease, paralysis, posture, or congenital defects like scoliosis (sideways)

Hyperkyphosis

An exaggerated thoracic curvature usually from osteoporosis, the spine curve goes overly out

Hyperlordosis

An exaggerated lumbar curvature usually caused by pregnancy or obesity, the spine curve goes overly in

Spinous process

Projection upward from one vertebra to meet another articular process above

Transverse process

Lateral extension from a vertebtra

Intevertebral foramen

Opening between pedicles of two adjoining vertebrae

Intervertebral discs

Pads between the vertebrae that bind them together to support the weight of the body

Herniated disc

The slipping or rupturing of a disc; can put painful pressure on the spinal nerve or cord

Cervical vertebrae

Notated as C1 to C7; C2 to 6 have forked spinous process while C1 and C2 are the atlas and axis

Atlas

The first cervical vertebrae (C1), supports the head and allows nodding “yes” (pitch) with anterior and posterior arches

Axis

The second cervical vertebrae (C2), allows nodding “no” (yaw)

Thoracic vertebrae

Notated as T1 to T12; has downward angled spinous processes that correspond to the 12 pairs of ribs they are attached to

Lumbar vertebrae

Notated as L1 to L5; have thick, stout bodies and blunt, squarish spinous processes

Sacrum

Bony plate forming the posterior wall of the pelvic girdle, notated as S1 to S5 that begin fusing around age 16

Anterior surface is smooth and concave while posterior surface is very rough

Coccyx

Consists of four smaller vertebrae notated as Co1 to Co4, fuses into single, triangular bone by age 20 to 30

Can be fractured during childbirth or hard fall and provides pelvic muscular attachment

Thoracic cage

Consists of the thoracic vertebrae, sternum, and ribs to enclose the lungs and heart

Sternum

The bony plate anterior to the heart, divided into the manubrium (superior portion), body (long mdidle portion), and xiphoid (inferior point)

Ribs

12 pairs with ends attached to vertebral column and sternum; costal cartilages attach ribs to sternum

True ribs

Ribs 1 to 7, each directly connected to the sternum

False ribs

Ribs 8 to 12, lacking independent connections to the sternum

Floating ribs

Ribs 11 and 12 (also false), no connection at all to sternum or cartilages