supports scull, percotal girdle, upper limbs, thorasic cage

transmits body weight to lower limbs

protects spinal nerves, roots, and meninges

33 total

7 cervical

12 thorasic

5 lumbar

5 saccral fused into one

1 coccyx (4 vertebre with the lower 3 fused)

covers hayline cartlidge on articular facets

the ones between vertebral arches are freely movable synovial joints

continous, weak, narrow

attached to posterior discs

1/4 of length of column

thickest in cervical and lumbar where more movement is needed

shock absorption

elasticity allows vertebre to move on eachother

resiliance is lost with age

peripherial part of an interveterbal disc

fibrocartlidgein concentric sheets

aka nucleus pulposus

inner part of an intervetebral disc

permit vertebra rocking

gelatenous in kids and adolescents with lots of water.

as you age water turns into fibrocartlidge.

5 rudimentary vertebre fused

concave anteriorlly

upper border articulates L5

lateral border articulates illiac crest forming the sacroiliac joints

first sacral bulge

upper margin anterior direction

4 vertebre fused

articulates with sacrum

1st vertebre is usually not fused though

C1

no spine or body

forms alanto-axial joint on inferior surface

forms alanto-occipital joints

two joints formed between the interior surface of the atlas and dens of the axis

synovial joint

formed by the superior articular facets of the atlas with the occipital condyle

synovial joint

allows head to nod

C2

bifid spine

body

odontoid process (dens) was once the vertebral body of the atlas that fused with the axis body

makes alanto axial joints with atlas

C7

small foramen transversum that only transmits the vertebral vein

small and broad body

long non bifid spine

bifid spine

body

superior articular facets

transverse processes

posterior/anterior tubericle

foramen transversum (transmits vertebral artery)

small circular vertebral foramen

medium body

spinous process points down

super articular processes point backwards and lateral

transverse costal facets (except T11 and T12) articulate with tubercles of the ribs

inferior articular processes face forward and medial (exept T12 their lateral)

large vertebral body

long slender transverse processes

superior articulating process medial facing

thick lamina

strong pedicle

short flat projected backwards spinous process

triangular vertebral foramen

inferior process articulation surface faces laterally

posterior

lever that attaches muscles and ligaments

articulate with superior vertebre below making a synovial joint

articular surface has hayline cartlidge

forms intervetebral foramen with superior notch from vertebre below

transmits spinal nerves and blood vessels

where dorsal and ventral nerve roots of a spinal nerve unite