Undocumented thoughts about Week 1 lab objectives
8/31/99 W. Crone (303 FTZ, 629-7439, cronewil@hvcc.edu, www.hvcc.edu/academ/faculty/crone/index.html)
Included on this sheet are some thoughts to help you be oriented with the different lab objectives. Feel free to expand and elaborate for your own purposes--I'm not intending this to be exhaustive!
- vertebra: cervical, thoracic, lumbar, sacral, coccyx: note overall differences; cervical (C1-7) with foramina transversaria (contain vertebral aa.) and bifid spinous process; thoracic (T1-12) have costal facets and inferior-pointing spinous processes; lumbar (L1-5) are large and weight-bearing; sacral (S1-5) are fused into the curved sacrum; and the coccyx (Co1-4) is the fused remnant of caudal vertebrae (as well as painful to land on!)
- pedicle: the"stalk" supporting the arch from the body
- lamina: the"roof" over the vertebral canal; cut into for a laminectomy
- transverse process: sticks out sideways for muscle attachment;"divides" hypaxial and epaxial muscle groups
- articular process: superior and inferior processes that allow articulation of adjacent vertebrae
- spinous process: dorsal projection, those of C7 and T1particularly palpable
- vertebral foramen: the hole made by the vertebral arch
- vertebral canal: the"tunnel" made by the vertebral foramina strewn together, for the spinal cord
- intervertebral disc: tough cushioning between discs, thickest in the mobile cervical and lumbar regions, made of…
- anulus fibrosis: fibrocartilage ring holding in cushioning nucleus pulposus, can weaken with age to allow contents to herniate ("slipped disc")
- nucleus pulposus: gooey internal contents of intervertebral disc, adult remnants of notochord
- intervertebral foramen: gap between vertebral notches of adjacent pedicles, where spinal nerves exit
- foramen transversarium: hole in transverse process of a cervical vertebra, space for vertebral artery
- axis: C2-with dens (odontoid process) to allow swivel"no" motion
- atlas: C1: with two articular surfaces for occipital condyles and"yes" motion
- posterior tubercle off of C1, instead of a spinous process
- occipital bone: part of skull that contains foramen magnum
- inion (external occipital protuberance): projection of posterior occipital bone, landmark for posterior neck muscles
- nuchal line (superior): the ridge on the occipital bone that includes the inion, superior limit of neck
- primary and secondary curvature of spinal column: referring to pattern of development: sacral and thoracic are primary, secondary cervical and lumbar durvatures are compensatory for the center of gravity
- skin (p. 3, Ch. 1): single largest organ in body; protective, thermoregulatory, immunologic functions
- epidermis: stratified squamous epithelium
- dermis: lower, connective tissue layer with vasculature
- superficial fascia: loose connective tissue underneath dermis
- deep fascia: tougher connective tissue surrounding muscle
- retinacula cutis: strands of connective tissue that anchor the skin to deep fascia below; large ones are Cooper's ligaments (suspensory ligaments) of the breast
- trapezius m. (p. 132): large multifunction scapular muscle, remnant of gill-raising mm. to explain its CN XI motor innervation
- latissimus dorsi m.: inferior back, makes up posterior axillary wall, thoracodorsal n., antagonistic to pectoralis mm., useful for butterfly swimmers
- thoracolumbar fascia: fascia surrounding deep muscle, especially in lumbar region, blends in with other fascia, e.g., that of quadratus lumborum mm.
- semispinalis capitis m.: part of the deep epaxial mm. group, most superior portion of semispinalis mm.
- erector spinae mm. (sacrospinalis mm.): large block of epaxial muscle--major spine extensor and a lateral flexor. Note that epaxial mm. names refer more to patterns of attachment than to individual mm., e.g., longissimus thoracis, cervicis, capitis. Erector spinae mm. refers to the following three components:
- iliocostalis m.: most lateral, attached to ribs
- longissimus m.: attached to transverse processes
- spinalis m.: thin and most medial, attached to spinous processes.
- transversospinalis mm.: small sets of postural muscles that connect from transverse process to spinous process, made of the following sets:
- semispinalis, multifidus, rotatores mm.: small, epaxial mm. that contribute to an overall postural effect, even though small individually. These are in the order of superficial to deep and longer to shorter, e.g., rotatores run from the transverse process of one vertebra to the spinous process of the adjacent superior vertebra.
- spinal cord: part of the CNS, consists of grey and white matter
- cervical enlargement: (of the spinal cord), reflects the multiple nerves running out to the upper extremity
- lumbrosacral enlargement: (of the spinal cord), reflects the multiple nerves running out to the lower extremity
- supraspinous ligament: tough connective tissue band running from the dorsal"peak" of one spinous process to another to help hold vertebrae together
- interspinous ligament: smaller connective tissue bands running between the spinous processes of adjacent vertebrae
- ligamenta flava and nuchal ligament: ligamenta flava ("yellow ligaments") are connective tissue bands that connect adjacent laminae. The nuchal ligament is an enlarged band of ligament beyond supraspinous and interspinous ligaments that assists to prevent neck hyperflexion.
- anterior longitudinal ligament: a long ligament on the anterior (ventral) surface of the vertebral bodies that helps to prevent hyperextension damage, e.g., in"whiplash" injury.
- posterior longitudinal ligament: a long ligament on the posterior (dorsal) surface of the vertebral bodies (i.e., within the"floor" of the vertebral canal) that helps to prevent hyperflexion damage, e.g., in"whiplash" injury.
- epidural (extradural) space: space between the bony vertebral canal and the meninges covering the spinal cord; useful for epidural anesthesia, e.g., access through sacral hiatus (the"epidural" of childbirth)
- dural sac: that part of dura mater inferior to the conus medullaris, so a target for lumbar puncture (spinal tap).
- dura mater: the outermost, tough connective tissue meningeal covering that will thin out as spinal nerves reach out peripherally
- arachnoid mater: a thinner middle meningeal layer, so named because of the trabeculations extending through the subarachnoid space
- subarachnoid space: between arachnoid and pia mater, site of CSF (cerebrospinal fluid).
- denticulate ligaments: pegs of pia mater that help to hold the spinal cord into position in the vertebral canal.
- ventral and dorsal roots of spinal nerves: refers to the motor and sensory, respectively, to the mixed spinal nerves
- dorsal root (spinal) ganglion: home to the nerve cell bodies of sensory neurons
- conus medullaris: terminal portion of spinal cord, at about L1-2 in adults.
- cauda equina:"horse's tail" of dorsal and ventral roots reaching out to intervertebral foramina of lumbar and sacral nerves--a result of the continued growth of the vertebral column faster than that of the CNS. Hence, L3-4 and L4-5 make a useful site for lumbar puncture (spinal tap).
- filum terminale: remnant of caudal spinal cord helping to anchor spinal cord to inferior portion of spine
- dermatome: strip of skin associated with embryonic somite, innervated by a pair of spinal nerves. Dermatome distribution, e.g., shingles.
- myotome: strip of muscle associated with embryonic somite, e.g., featured in the segmented nature of the intercostal muscles.
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This page updated on September 15, 1999
