LECTURE

4: AXIAL SKELETON
September 14, 2022 8:28 PM

LEARNING OBJECTIVES QUESTIONS/FACTS

• Identify regions an normal spinal curvatures Facet= flat smooth surface
• Describe structural features of the vertebrae Foramen= hole
• Describe the actions and articulations of the craniovertebral joints Foramen=single
• Identify and describe attachments of select joint, ligaments, and movement of the Foramina= plural
vertebral column Annu= circular
• Locate and name the cranial activity/facial bones Longitudinal ligament=
• Locate and name cranial structures

NORMAL CURVATURES ( look to the side view)

PRIMARY CURVATURE= concave, curving like a

cve, FETUS (hunch back)
SECONDARY CURVATURE= convex, NEWBORN
• CERVICAL=CONCAVE=curve/bowl facing
posteriorly
• THORACIC=CONVEX= curve/bowl facing
anteriorly
• LUMBAR=CONCAVE
• SACRAL=CONVEX

SPINE
*at 7=breakfast, at 12=lunch, at 5=dinner
ABNORMAL CURVATURES
*numbered from superiorly to inferiorly
*transition from the other is gradual and not
KYPHOSIS
abrupt
• Kyph= hump= hunch back
• CERVICAL=7 (C1(ATLAST), C2 (AXIS), C3-C7)
• Kyphotic curve =convex
• THORACIC=12
• Increase thoracic curvature
• LUMBAR=5
• SACRUM=5
LORDOSIS
• COCCYX=4
• Lord= bent back ward=
protruding stomach
• Pull spine anteriorly
• Increase lordotic curvature
• Lordotic curvature= concave

GENERAL VERTEBRAL STRUCTURE (ANTERIOR TO POSTERIOR)

• Body/centrum= center, big flat surface, where the intervertebral disc attaches
• Pedicle= like little feet , on the site of the vertebral foramen
• Facet=flat surface on the pedicle
• Superior articular process= concave facet and in between pedicle and lamina, smaller than
transverse
• Vertebral foramen=hole in the middle of the vertebrae, contains the spinal cord
• Vertebral arch=arch along the vertebral foramen
• Lamina= connects transverse and spinous
• Transverse process= bones sticking out(posteriorly) to the sides of the vertebrae (like the side of
the crown)
• Spinous process= most medial and posterior process of the vertebra( like the middle of the
crown)
• Transverse process and spinous process= where the muscle attaches

CERVICAL SPINE (5)

• Smaller than all other vertebrae except those that form the coccyx
• 3 foramina= 1 vertebral foramina and 3 transverse foramina
• Base of the neck C3-C6

TRANSVERSE FORAMEN
• Passage of vertebral arteries

BIFID SPINOUS PROCESS

• Like the tounge of a snake except the C7

ATLAS (C1) AXIS (C2)

• Holding up the skull • Dens=tooth
• Big vertebral foramen • Body and odontoid process (dens)
• Inferior to the skull • ODONTOID PROCESS= prominent bone that sits on
• No body (facet for DENS)
top of the body
• No spinous process
• No disc
• No disc
• Articulates with the occipital condyles
• Has a transverse foramen
• Transverse process and transverse foramen are
quite large

CRANOIVERTEBRAL JOINTS

ATLANTO- OCCIPITAL JOINT

• ATLAS+OCCIPITAL BONE
• Allow for "yes" movement
• Supported by the ALLAR LIGAMENT
• Allar ligament= dens + medial side of the occipital condyle

ATLANTOAXIAL JOINT
• ATLAS+AXIS
• Allow for "no" movement
• Supported by TRANSVERSE LIGAMENT
• Transverse ligament= arches across the ring of the atlas and maintains the
odontoid process in contact with the anterior arch

THORARIC SPINE(12)
• Larger and stronger than the cervical
• Spinous process are longer except (T11-T12)
• Articulates with the ribs

COSTAL(RIB) FACETS ON THE BODY/ TRANSVERSE COSTAL FACET

• Articulate with the tubercles of rib
• Facets T1, T10, T11, and T12
• Demi facets T2-T9
• Demi facet=half of a facet, where part of the head of the rib or part of the coastal
cartilage articulates

FACET OF TRANSVERSE

SPINOUS PROCESS
• Long and slender
• Palpatable on the back
• Like a giraffe
*don't mistake it for the C7 since it does look like it

COSTOVERTEBRAL JOINTS
• Head of the rib articulates with th coastal(demi) facet
• SYNOVIAL JOINT
• RADIATE LIGAMENT=head of rib+bodies of vertebra+intervertebral disc(in between)
• Tubercle of rib articulates with the transverse facet
• COSTOTRANSVERSE LIGAMENT= tubercle of rib+adjacent transverse process

SACRUM
- 5 fused vertebrae
- Ala(wings)/auricular surface articulate with ilium
- Most inferior

*anterior
- Sacral promontory= like the lip of sacrum, where the
lumbar sits on
- Ala/ auricular surface= ear of sacrum, SI joint(connects
with the illium)

*Posterior
- Sacral canal

LUMBAR SPINE
COCCYX
- Short and blunt= spinous process
- 4 fused vertebrae
- Thin= transverse process
- Provides anchor for the spinal cord
- Large vertebral body
- Lowest spinal column=holds a lot of weight
- Like a moose

LIGAMENTS
LIGAMENTUM FLAVUM LIGAMENT NUCHAL LIGAMENT
ANTERIOR LONGITUDINAL LIGAMENT
- Connects adjacent lamina - External occipital protuberance to spinous
- No spinous process only body
processes of cervical vertebrae
- Connects the adjacent bodies
INTERSPINOUS LIGAMENT - Keeps the head upright
- Connects adjacent spinous process
POSTERIOR LONGITUDINAL LIGAMENT
- Spinous process sticks out
SUPRA SPINOUS LIGAMENT
- Connects adjacent bodies
- Connects tips of adjacent spinous processes, covers the interspinous
ligament

INTER TRANSVERSE LIGAMENT

- Connects adjacent transverse processes, most exterior ligament

INTERVERTEBRAL (IV) JOINT

-
- In between joint= intervertebral
- Symphysis joint= one bone-meets the other, designed for weight bearing
- IV DISCS= PROVIDE STRONG ATTACHMENT BETWEEN VERTEBRAE
○ Act as shock absorber
○ Annulus fibrosus= circular exterior of the disc
○ Nucleus pulpous= soft inner core
○ Like a donut (exterior= annulus fibrosus, interior=jelly)

IV DISC PATHOLOGY
- ANNUAL TEARS=tear to the exterior of the disc or the annulus fibrosus

DISC HERNIATION
- Fragment of disc is pushed out which tear and ruptures the annulus fibrosus

MOVEMENTS OF VERTEBRAL COLUMN

JOINTS OF VERTEBRAL COLUMN

ZYGAPOPHYSEAL (FACET) JOINTS

- Joints between superior and inferior articular processes
- Synovial joint= allow for a lot of movement
- Articular processes of regional vertebrae=oriented
differently to allow for specific movements ???

CRANIAL CAVITY BONES

*anterior
- Frontal bone= front of the skull, where the forehead is
- Parietal bone= 2 bones, in between frontal, and occipital lobe
- Squamous suture= where the parietal and the temporal meets
- Ethmoid bone= square bone at the root of the nose(insides, 2 sides left and right),
beside tear ducks
- Palatine bone=at the back of the mouth(inside)
- lacrimal bone= the tear ducks, resemble a finger nail size and shape (outside)
- Zygomatic bone= cheek bone
- Vomer= perpendicular bone inside the hole in the nose (inside)
- Coronal suture= line that cuts the skull in the coronal plane (front and back)
- Temporal bone= where the ear sits
- Sphenoid bone=in the middle underneath the eye (eyeball)
- Nasal bone= bridge of the nose , where the eye glasses sits (outside)
- Maxilla= moustache bone
- Mandible=largest bone in the human skill

*right lateral view

- Corona suture= connects frontal bone and parietal bone
- squamous suture= parietal+temporal
- Temporal bone
- Lambdoid suture= unites 2 parietal bone to the occipital bone(horizontal
border/line between parietal and occipital)
- Occipital bone
- Asterion=(ass=posterior, lower)
- Pterion= (penis= anterior)
- Frontal
- Sphenoid bone=bone between zygomatic and temporal
- Zygomatic bone
- Ethmoid
- Lacrimal bone
- Nasal bone
- Maxilla
- mandible

PTERION (no suture?)

- Frontal= front
- Parietal= in between frontal and occipital
- Sphenoid=
- Temporal

ASTERION
- Occipital
- Parietal
- Temporal
- Lambdoid+ squamous

*superior
- Bregma
- Frontal bone
- Coronal suture
- Sagittal suture=unites 2 parietal bones in the midline of the skull
- Parietal
- Occipital
- lambda

BREGMA(anterior)
- Frontal
- Left parietal
- Right parietal
- Coronal+sagittal

LAMBDA(posterior)
- Occipital
- Left parietal
- Right parietal
- Lambdoid+ sagittal

*medial/ sagittal view

- Parietal bone
- Frontal bone
- Ethmoid bone=square bone at the root of the nose
- Nasal bone
- Sphenoid bone
- Inferior nasal concha bone=increase the surface area of the nasal cavity (don’t
need to know)
- Maxilla= has the palatine process, unite to form the upper jawbone
- Palatine=2 L- shaped bone
- Vomer= roughly triangular bone ( Voldemort = nose)
- Mandible= lower jawbone, only movable skull bone

Process= named after the bone that they attached themselves to