Vertebrae
(Redirected from Spinous process)
Description
Names
- Vertebra
- Vertebrae
- Cervical Vertebrae
- Thoracic Vertebrae
- Lumbar Vertebrae
Nomenclature
- Vertebral Column: 33 bones called vertebrae, which are separated by intervertebral discs
- Vertebral structure: divided into 5 different regions
Function
- Protection: encloses, protects the spinal cord
- Support: carries the weight of the body above the pelvis
- Axis: forms the central axis of the body
- Movement: has roles in both posture and movement
Vertebral Body
- Body: forms anterior part of each vertebrae
- Weight bearing component
- Bodies get bigger in lower portion of spinal column
- Due to needing to better support increased weight from cervical to lumbar spine
- Superior/ inferior aspects lined with hyaline cartilage
- Each adjacent vertebral body is separated by fibrocartilaginous intervertebral disc
Vertebral Arch
- Forms the lateral and posterior aspect of each vertebrae
- Vertebral foramen: enclosed hole within each arch
- Line up along the spine to form the vertebral canal
- Encloses the spinal cord
- Spinous Processes (SP): single spinous process, centered posteriorly at the point of the arch
- Transverse processes (TP): Two transverse processes, which extend laterally and posteriorly from the vertebral body.
- Transverse processes articulate with the ribs in the thoracic vertebrae
- Pedicles: connect the vertebral body to the transverse processes
- Lamina: connect the transverse and spinous processes.
- Articular processes: form joints between one vertebra and its superior and inferior counterparts
- Located at the intersection of the laminae and pedicles
Transverse Process
- Protruding bone structures on the sides of the cervical, thoracic and lumbar vertebrae[9]
- Primary role is attachment point for paraspinal muscles and ligaments
- They do not carry a significant spinal load
- 7 Cervical Vertebrae
- Bifid spinous process
- Spinous process bifurcates at its distal end
- Exceptions: C1 (no spinous process) and C7 (may not bifurcate)
- Transverse foramina: opening in each transverse process
- Vertebral arteries travel to the brain through them
- Triangular vertebral foramen
Thoracic Vertebrae
- 12 Thoracic Vertebrae
- Increase in size from cranial to caudal
- Specialized function is to articulate with the ribs
- Demi facets: articulate with the heads of ribs
- Superiorly and inferiorly on either side of the vertebral body
- Transverse process: costal facet for articulation with the shaft of a rib
- Costal facets articulate with the rib above
- Spinous process: oriented obliquely inferior, posterior
Lumbar Vertebrae
- 5 Lumbar vertebrae
- Largest in the vertebral column
- Specialize in weight bearing
- Bodies are larger, kidney shaped
- No transverse foramina, costal facets, bifed SP
- Vertebral foramen is triangular shaped
- Shorter spinous process
- Caudal end of the vertebral column
- Vertebrae are fused (sometimes termed false vertebrae)
- Sacrum: formed by 5 fused vertebrae
- Inverted triangular shape
- Forms posterior wall of bony pelvis
- Articulates with the ilium to form sacroiliac joint
- Coccyx: formed by 4 fused vertebrae
- Small bone which articulates with apex of sacrum
- No vertebral canal or arches
- Anatomic variant
- S1 separated from sacrum termed "lumbarization"
- L5 fused to the sacrum termed "sacralization"
Joints
- Vertebrae articulate with each other between their bodies and articular facets
- Left and right superior articular facets articulate with the vertebra above
- Left and right inferior articular facets articulate with the vertebra below
- Vertebral bodies joints
- Indirectly articulate with each other via the intervertebral discs
- Joints are cartilaginous
- Designed for weight bearing
- Covered by hyaline cartilage
Ligaments
- Anterior Longitudinal ligament
- Sits anterior the the vertebral column
- Runs the full length of the vertebrae
- Thick, pr events hyperextension
- Posterior Longitudinal ligament
- Sits posterior the the vertebral column
- Runs the full length of the vertebrae
- Thinner than ALL, prevents flexion
- Ligamentum flavum
- Extends between lamina of adjacent vertebrae
- Interspinous and supraspinous
- Joins the spinous processes of adjacent vertebrae
- Interspinous ligaments attach between processes
- Supraspinous ligaments attach to the tips
- Intertransverse ligaments
- Extends between transverse processes
Clinical Significance
- Fractures
- Neurological
- Musculoskeletal
- Autoimmune
- Infectious
- Pediatric
See Also
References
- ↑ Kraft, Reuben H., and Samantha L. Wozniak. A review of computational spinal injury biomechanics research and recommendations for future efforts. Fort Rucker, Daleville, AL, USA: Army Research Laboratory, 2011.
- ↑ Yoo, Seokha, et al. "Ultrasonography for lumbar neuraxial block." Anesthesia and pain medicine 15.4 (2020): 397-408.
- ↑ Bijendra, Dangol, et al. "Adjacent level vertebral fractures in patients operated with percutaneous vertebroplasty." Open Journal of Orthopedics 8.3 (2018): 116-126.
- ↑ Laban, Othman Shukri Abdelkarim Abu. Modelling of Whiplash Trauma; Parametric Study of Rear-End Collision and Development of Head-Restraint System. MS thesis. Qatar University (Qatar), 2017.
- ↑ Gangwar, Tarun, et al. "Robust variational segmentation of 3D bone CT data with thin cartilage interfaces." Medical Image Analysis 47 (2018): 95-110.
- ↑ Jackson, Mark A., and Karen H. Simpson. "Chronic back pain." Continuing Education in Anaesthesia, Critical Care & Pain 6.4 (2006): 152-155.
- ↑ Van Kleef, Maarten, et al. "Thoracic pain." Evidence‐Based Interventional Pain Medicine: According to Clinical Diagnoses (2011): 62-70.
- ↑ Drosos, Alexandros A., et al. "A not-to-miss cause of severe cervical spine pain in a patient with rheumatoid arthritis: A case-based review." Mediterranean Journal of Rheumatology 32.3 (2021): 256.
- ↑ Willard, Frank H., et al. "The thoracolumbar fascia: anatomy, function and clinical considerations." Journal of anatomy 221.6 (2012): 507-536.