Vertebral Column

Vertebral Column
• The vertebral column is the
central bony pillar of the
body.
• Part of the axial skeleton
• It supports
– Skull
– Pectoral girdle
– Upper limbs
– Thoracic cage
• It transmits body weight to
the lower limbs by the
pelvic girdle
Designed to protect
your spinal cord.
Composition of the
vertebral column

– Composed of 33-34
bones called
vertebrae
– 7 cervical are in the
neck region
– 12 thoracic are
posterior to the
thoracic cavity
– 5 lumbar support the
lower back
– 5 sacral fused to form
the sacrum (1) in
adults
– 4-5 coccygeal fused
to form the coccyx (1)
in adults
• They articulate each
other at anterior and
posterior intervertebral
joints
 In adults
– 7 cervical
– 12 thoracic presacral vertebra
– 5 lumbar 24 bones
– 1 sacrum (5)
– 1 coccyx (3-4)
– -----------
In adults 26 bones
• Vertebral column is a
flexible structure,
because it is segmented
and made up of:
• Vertebrae
• Joints
• Pads of cartilage called
intervertebral discs

• The intervertebral
discs form about one
forth of the lenght of
the column
General characteristics
of a vertebra
• Although vertebrae
show regional
differences they all
possess a common
pattern.
 A typical vertebra
• A typical vertebra is
composed of two parts:
– A body (anteriorly)
– A vertebral arch
(posteriorly)

• These enclose a space called

the vertebral foramen

• The vertebral arch consist

of
– a pair of cylindrical pedicles
– a pair of flattened laminae
• The vertebral arch gives
rise to 7 processes
– Spinous process (1)
– Transvers process (2)
– Articular process (4)
 The spinous process
(Spine)
• It is directed posteriorly
from the junction of the
two laminae
 Transvers process
• It is directed laterally
from the junction of the
laminae and the pedicle
 Articular
process
• Vertically arranged
• 2 superior and 2
inferior
• Arise from the
junction of the
laminae and the
pedicles
• Articular surfaces are
covered with hyaline
cartilage.
• The two superior
articular processes
of one vertebra
articulate with the
two inferior articular
processes of the arch
above
• The pedicles are
notched on their upper
and lower borders
• Superior and inferior
vertebral notches
• The inferior vertebral
notche is larger
• On each side, the
superior notch of one
vertebra and the
inferior notch of an
adjacent vertebra
together form an
intervertebral
foramen.
In an articulated
skeleton an
intervertebral
foramen serves
to transmit the
spinal nerves and
blood vessels
 Characteristics of a typical
cervical vertebra
• The transverse process posseses a transverse
foramen for the passage of the vertebral artery and
the viens (note that the vertebral artery passes
through the transverse processes C1 to 6 and not
through C7)
• The spines are small and bifid (C2-C5)
• The body is small
 Characteristics of the atypical
cervical vertebra
C1, C2, C7 are atypical
• C 1, the first cervical
vertebra or atlas does not
possess a body and a
spinous process
• It has an anterior and a
posterior arch.
• It has a lateral mass on
each side with articular
surfaces
• The upper surface is for articultaion with the occipital
condyles (atlanto-occipital joints)
• The lower surface is for articultaion with the axis (C2)
(atlanto-axial joints)
• Posterior surface of the anterior arch….Fovea dentis…..
Articulates with dens
• C2, the second cervical
vertebra or Axis
• It has a odontoid process
which projects from the
superior surface of the body
• C7, the seventh cervical
vertebra or vertebra prominens
• It has the longest spinous
process (not bifid)
• The transvers process is large
but the transverse foramen is
small that transmits the only
small accesory viens.
 Characteristics of a
typical thoracic vertebra
• The body is medium
• The spines are long and
inclined downward
• Costal facets…>
• On both sides of the bodies .....>For articulation with
heads of ribs
• On the transverse processes......> For articulation with
tubercles of ribs (not present inT11 and T12) .
Superior costal facet (1/2)
Inferior costal facets (1/2)
• T 1 1+1/2
• T 10 1/2
• T 11 and T 12 only
one whole (1) costal
facet
 Characteristics of a
typical lumbar vertebra
• The body is large and kidney shaped
• The vertebral foramen is triangular
• The spines are
short, flat and
quadriangular and
project backward
• The laminae are
thicklong and
slender
• Note that the
lumbar
vertebrae have
no facets for
articulation with
ribs and no
foramina in the
transverse
process
 Sacrum
• Consists of 5
rudimentary
vertebrae fused
together
• Triangular and
Wedge-shaped
bone
• Concave
anteriorly
• The upper
border…base of
sacrum
• Articulates with
5th lumbar
vertebra
• The narrow inferior
border… apex of
sacrum
• Articulates with
coccyx
• Laterally …
articulates with
the two iliac
bones
• Sacroiliac joint
• The sacrum forms
the posterior pelvic
wall and strengthens
and stabilizes the
pelvis.
• The anterior and
upper margin of the
first sacral vertebra
bulges forward
• Sacral promontory
• The sacral
promontory in the
female is of
considerable
obstetric
importance and is
used when
measuring the
size of the pelvis.
• The vertebral
foramina are present
and form the sacral
canal.
• Sacral hiatus
• The anterior and posterior surfaces of the
sacrum each have four foramina on each side
for the passage of the anterior and posterior
rami of the upper four sacral nerves.
 Coccyx
• The coccyx
– consists of
four
vertebrae
– fused
together to
form a single,
small
triangular
bone
– articulates at
its base with
the lower end
of the sacrum
• Knowledge of the preceding basic
anatomy of the vertebral column is
important
 Curves of the Vertebral
Column
Curves in the Sagittal Plane

• In the fetus, the

vertebral column has
one continuous anterior
concavity.
• As development
proceeds, the
lumbosacral angle
appears.
• After birth, when the
child becomes able to
raise his or her head and
keep it poised on the
vertebral column, the
cervical part of the
vertebral column becomes
concave posteriorly
• Toward the end of the
first year, when the
child begins to stand
upright, the lumbar
part of the vertebral
column becomes
concave posteriorly
• In the adult, in the standing
position, the vertebral
column therefore exhibits in
the sagittal plane the
following regional curves:
• cervical posterior concavity
• thoracic posterior convexity
• lumbar, posterior concavity
• sacral, posterior convexity.
• During the later months
of pregnancy, with the
increase in size and
weight of the fetus,
women tend to increase
the posterior lumbar
concavity in an attempt
to preserve their
center of gravity.
• In old age, the
intervertebral discs
atrophy, resulting in
a loss of height and a
gradual return of the
vertebral column to a
continuous anterior
concavity.