Vertebral column
Cervical (C): Lordosis
Thoracic (T): Kyphosis (rib)
Lumbar (L): Lordosis
Sacral (S) (pelvic bone)
Coccyx (Cx)
Intervertebral joints
Posterior
view
Vertebrae- 1
Vertebra (Spine)
Vertebral Body; Vertebral foramen (canal)
Vertebral Arch: Pedicle, Lamina, Process
Vertebral notch: superior, inferior (intervertebral foramen)
Posterior
Vertebral foramen (canal)
Upper view
Anterior Vertebrae- 2
Vertebra (Spine)
Vertebral Body; Vertebral foramen (canal)
Vertebral Arch: Pedicle, Lamina, Process
Vertebral notch: superior, inferior (intervertebral foramen)
Posterior
Upper view
Anterior Vertebrae- 3
Vertebral foramen (canal) and spinal cord
Anterior
Vertebrae- 4
Intervertebral foramen and spinal nerves
Anterior
Vertebrae- 5
Anterior
Vertebrae- 6
Anterior
Vertebrae- 7
Vertebral
foramen (canal) Anterior
Vertebrae- 8
Anterior
Intervertebral
foramen
Vertebrae- 9
Vertebral process
Spinous process, Transverse process
Articular process (facet): superior, inferior
Vertebrae- 10
Intervertebral joints
Hyaline cartilage
Intervertebral disc: Annulus fibrosus + Nucleus pulposus
Vertebrae- 11
Cervical vertebrae
Typical vertebrae (C3-C6)
C1: atlas, C2: axis Vertebrae- 12
Cervical vertebrae: Typical (C3-C6)
Anterior
small body; large,
triangular canal; arch
Transverse process:
end as post. & ant.
tubercle; foramen
transversarium
Articular process: sup.
& inf.; sup. facet
Short, bifid spinous
process; attachment
of ligamentum nuchae
Vertebrae- 13
Ligamentum nuchae
Vertebrae- 14
Vertebral artery in
transverse foramens
Through transverse
foramens of C1-6; but
no C7 (only for
accessory vertebral v.)
Vascular insufficiency
during forceful rotation
of vertebral column
Vertebrae- 15
Variations: transverse foramen and
vertebral artery
mainly through C1-6; some through C7
J Craniovertebr Junction Spine 2015; 6: 30–35
Vertebrae- 16
C1: atlas
Sup. articular facet; with occipital condyle
No body; No spinous proc.; Lateral mass:
ant., & post. arch
Long transverse proc.
Vertebrae- 17
C2: axis
Dens (odontoid proc)
Sup. articular facet; Inf. articular facet
Body, pedicle; Spinous proc.; Transverse proc.
Anterior
Body
Lamina
Vertebrae- 18
Assembling of C1 and C2
Anterior
Lateral mass
Vertebrae- 19
C7 vertebra
Large, long spinous process
Caudal end of lig. nuchae as a landmark
No vertebral a. through transverse foramen
Anterior Anterior
Vertebrae- 20
Thoracic vertebrae: “typical” [T2~T10(9-11)] 1/2
Body: larger than C-
vertebrae; round canal
Upper and lower surfaces:
parallel to each other
Spinous proc.: directly
posteriorly
Vertical articular facets:
sup. facet faces posteriorly
Vertebrae- 21
Thoracic vertebrae: “typical” [T2~T10(9-11)] 2/2
Articular facets for ribs
With rib head: sup. &
inf. costal demifacet at
upper & lower border of
body
With tubercle of rib:
costal facet on trans.
proc.
Vertebrae- 22
Vertebra and rib
Anterior Vertebrae- 23
Vertebra T1
Upper surface of
body: saddle-shaped
Intermediate
between C and T
Triangular canal
Rib1 contact T1 body
only
Vertebrae- 24
Vertebra T11-T12
Single rib articular facet; no
rib articular facet on trans.
proc.
T12: intermediate between
T and L
Sup. articular facet:
resembles T-vertebrae
Inf. articular facet:
resembles L-vertebre
Vertebrae- 25
Lumbar vertebre: typical L1-L4
Massive body; Small, triangular canal
Short, square spinous proc.; sup. facet: faces medially
Anterior
Vertebrae- 26
Lumbar vertebra: L5
body: deeper anteriorly than posteriorly; lordosis
Short massive transverse proc.; attached by ilio-lumbar lig
Vertebrae- 27
Sacrum and Coccyx: Sacrum
Sacrum (5)
Transfer body weight from vertebrae to pelvis
Vertebrae- 28
Sacrum: ant. surface
Ala of sacrum
Promontory
Sacro-iliac joint:
articular surface
4 ant. sacral foramina:
S1-4 ant. primary
rami
Vertebrae- 29
Sacrum: post.
surface
Sacral hiatus
Median sacral crest
Intermediate sacral
crest
Lateral sacral crest
Post. sacral foramina
Vertebrae- 30
Coccyx
Formed by 3-5
fused vertebrae
Vertebrae- 31
Comparison of vertebrae
Vertebrae- 32
Joints between adjacent vertebrae
Intervertebral
disc: body
Zygapophyseal
joint: facet
Vertebrae- 33
Intervertebral disc
between bodies, cartilaginous joint
Annulus fibrous (fibrocartilage) + nucleus pulposus
Vertebrae- 34
Herniation of
intervertebral disc (HIVD)
Vertebrae- 35
Lig. between adjacent
vertebrae
body
Ant. Longitudinal lig.
Post. Longitudinal lig.
lamina
Ligmentum flavum
Spinous proc
Interspinous lig.
Supraspinous lig.:
ligamentum nuchae of
cervical region
Vertebrae- 36
Ligmentum flavum
Between laminae, elastic fibers
posterior wall of vertebral canal; vs. post. long. lig.
Vertebrae- 37
Interspinous lig.
Between adjacent spinous
processes; membranous
Vertebrae- 38
Supraspinous lig.
cord-like; C7-S
nuchal ligament
Vertebrae- 39
Ligamentum nuchae: surface
anatomy
Vertebrae- 40
Interspinous ligament
Vertebrae- 41
Joints and ligaments:
right lateral view
Vertebrae- 42
Joints between Axis, Atlas, and Skull
No intervertebral disc; wider range of movements than other
vertebrae; dens as the center of rotation (“axis”)
Large facet joint anteriorly: to bear weight
Vertebrae- 43
Atlanto-occipital joints
Anterior atlanto-occipital membrane ~ ant. long. lig.
Posterior atlanto-occipital membrane ~ lig. flavum
Vertebrae- 44
Functions of craniovertebral joints
Nodding: atlanto-occipital joint
Shaking head: atlanto-axial joint
Vertebrae- 45
Ant. atlanto-occipital lig.
continuation of ant. longitudinal lig.
Vertebrae- 46
Post. atlanto-occipital lig.: ligmentum flavum
Vertebrae- 47
Atlantoaxial joints: cruciate (cruciform) ligaments
= transverse lig. + sup. & inf. fibers to connect dens
to foramen magnum
Vertebrae- 48
Tectorial membrane (ligament): posterior view
extension of post. longitudinal lig.
Vertebrae- 49
Tectorial membrane (ligament): sagittal view
Vertebrae- 50
Review on Vertebrae
Common features of vertebrae
Characters of C, T, L, S vertebrae
Typical vs. Atypical vertebrae for different levels
Joints
Body, Lamina, Spinous proc.
Equivalent structures: between vertebrae,
vertebrocranial junctions
Vertebrae- 51
