The vertebrae and the spine
The spine from the neck to the coccyx: the regions and their vertebrae, the typical vertebra, the atlas and the axis, the discs and the curves, what clinical practice draws from them (lumbar puncture, disc herniation, scoliosis), and the landmark vertebrae to touch on the skeleton.
- 44 cards
- 4 topics
- Free
The outline, topic by topic
Each topic is weighted the way the exam weighs it.
- Concepts
- On the skeleton
- Scenarios
- Understand
A few cards from the deck
The regions of the spine: what is it?
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7 cervical, 12 thoracic and 5 lumbar vertebrae, then the sacrum (5 fused vertebrae) and the coccyx.
There are usually 33 vertebrae: the coccyx joins 3 to 5 of them, most often 4.
At which level is a lumbar puncture done in an adult?
- Between L3-L4 or L4-L5
- Between T11-T12
- Between C6-C7
- Between L1-L2
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Between L3-L4 or L4-L5
The cord ends around L1-L2: lower down, the needle only meets the cauda equina's roots, which move aside.
Vertebral body: what is it?
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The front, cylindrical part of a vertebra, which bears the body's weight.
The bodies grow wider downwards, where the load increases.
Why are the lumbar vertebral bodies the largest?
- They bear the weight of the whole upper body
- They carry the longest ribs
- They surround the thickest part of the cord
- They protect the kidneys, which rest against them
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They bear the weight of the whole upper body
The load builds up from top to bottom.