Anatomy of the spine The spine is one of the most important

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Anatomy of the spine
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The spine is one of the most important parts of
your body. Without it, you could not keep
yourself upright or even stand up. It gives your
body structure and support. It allows you to move
about freely and to bend with flexibility. The
spine is also designed to protect your spinal
cord.
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At Birth The spine of a newborn is C-shaped, with
one curve
At About Six Months As the infant lifts his or
her head during the first few months, the neck
(cervical) curve and its muscles develop
At About Nine Months As the infant learns to
crawl and stand, the lower back (lumbar) curve
and its muscles develop. Strong back muscles help
give your child the strength and balance to walk
and run.
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• The spine has three major components
• the spinal column (i.e., bones and discs)
• neural elements (i.e., the spinal cord and nerve
  roots)
• supporting structures (e.g., muscles and
  ligaments)

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A. The spinal column

• The spinal column consists of individual bones
  called vertebrae, the building blocks, which
  provide support for the spine. These vertebrae
  are connected in the front of the spine by
  intervertebral discs.
• The spinal column consists of
• seven cervical vertebrae (C1C7) i.e. neck
• twelve thoracic vertebrae (T1T12) i.e. upper
  back
• five lumbar vertebrae (L1L5) i.e. lower back
• five bones (that are joined, or "fused," together
  in adults) to form the bony sacrum
• three to five bones fused together to form the
  coccyx or tailbone

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• In general a typical vertebra consists of
• large vertebral body in the front
• two strong bony areas called pedicles connecting
  the vertebral body and the posterior arch
• an arch of bony structures in the back (posterior
  arch) (the spinous process).

BODY
PEDICLE
transverse process
spinous process
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• 2 special cervical vertebrea
• Atlas
• The atlas is the topmost vertebra
• The Atlas has no body, and this is due to the
  fact that the body of the atlas has fused with
  that of the next vertebra (the Axis)
• it has no spinous process, is ring-like, and
  consists of an anterior and a posterior arch and
  two lateral masses

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• Axis
• The second cervical vertebra (C2) of the spine is
  named the axis
• The most distinctive characteristic of this bone
  is the strong dens which rises perpendicularly
  from the upper surface of the body.

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B. Neural Elements The neural elements consist
of the spinal cord and nerve roots. The spinal
cord runs from the base of the brain down through
the cervical and thoracic spine. Below the L1L2
level the spinal cord ends, as an array of nerve
roots continues, looking somewhat like a horse's
tail (cauda equina). At each vertebral level of
the spine there are a pair of nerve roots. These
nerves go to supply particular parts of the body.
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The intervertebral discs make up one fourth of
the spinal column's length. There are no discs
between the Atlas (C1), Axis (C2), and Coccyx.
Discs are not vascular and therefore depend on
the end plates to diffuse needed nutrients
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• Discs are composed of two parts a tough
  outer portion and a soft inner core
• The outer portion of the disc (annulus fibrosus)
  composed of concentric sheets of collagen fibers
  that seal the gelatinous nucleus and evenly
  distribute pressure and force imposed on the
  vertebral column.
• The inner core (nucleus pulposus) contains a
  loose network of fibers suspended in a
  mucoprotein gel.
• The outer portion and inner core of the
  spinal disc fit together like two concentric
  cylinders and are interconnected by cartilaginous
  end-plates

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• C. the supporting structures
• Ligaments
• Fascia
• Muscles
• Nerves

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• Ligaments
• Ligaments are rope-like bands of tissue that
  connect bones together. Most ligaments are lined
  up to keep joints from bending in the wrong way
• The most important ones are
• Anterior and posterior longitudinal ligaments
• Ligamentum flavum
• Intervertebral discs

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• Fascia
• Fascia is similar to ligaments, but fascia is
  more like a sheet than a rope.
• The most important of which is the thoracolumbar
  fascia (TLF) which has the following functions
• As the spinal muscles work, the TLF pulls tightly
  the low back, keeping the lumbar spine from
  bending out of the neutral position.
• It augments the power generated by spinal
  muscles.

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• Muscles
• Because of their location toward the center of
  the body, and because of their importance in
  spine stability, these key stabilizers are called
  "core, paraspinal" muscles
• Core muscles help grip and hold the spine. They
  keep each spinal segment from shifting and
  sliding as you do your activities

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• Nerves
• Motor nerves signal the key muscles to grip and
  hold and to guide and control the spine.
• Sensory nerves transmit sensations such as heat,
  cold, touch, pressure, and pain. They also give
  us our sense of position

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Q. What are the functions of the spinal curves?

• Absorbs the shocks of walking on hard surfaces
• More weight can be supported by a curved spine
  than if it were straight
• Additional space for the viscera is provided by
  the concavities of the thoracic and pelvic
  regions.
• Lastly, the S-curvature protects the vertebral
  column from breakage

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What are the functions of the spinal column?

• The major functions of the vertebral column are
• Protection of the spinal cord.
• Providing stiffening for the body and attachment
  for the pectoral and pelvic girdle and many other
  muscles.
• Providing motion for the human skeleton.
• The S-curvature enables the vertebral column to
  absorb the shocks of walking on hard surfaces

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