The Axial Skeleton – Flashcards
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Skeleton
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consists of: bones, cartilage, joints and ligaments
-composed of 206 named bones grouped into 2 divisions: axial skeleton and appendicular skeleton
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Appendicular Skeleton
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-upper and lower limbs
-126 bones
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Axial Skeleton
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-consists of the skull, vertebral column, and thoracic cage
-total of 80 bones
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The Skull
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-body's most complex bony structure
-formed by cranial and facial bones
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Cranial Bones
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-enclose and protect the brain
-provide attachment sites for some muscles of the head and neck
-formed from 8 large bones (2 paired and 4 unpaired)
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Facial Bones
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-form framework of the face
-form cavities for sense organs which provides blood vessel and innervation
-provides open passageway for air and food
-hold teeth in place
-anchor muscles of face
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Smaller cavities of the skull
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-middle and inner ear cavities
-nasal cavity (posterior to nose)
-orbits
-air-filled sinuses (occur in several bones around the nasal cavity)
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Paired bones of Cranial Bones
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-on both sides of the skull
-temporal bones
-parietal bones
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Unpaired bones of Cranial Bones
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-frontal bones
-occipital bone
-sphenoid bone
-ethmoid bone
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Parietal bones
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-form the superior and lateral parts of the skull
-sites of articulation (joints) with other bones create 4 sutures
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Suture bones
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-small bones that occur within sutures
-irregular in shape, size, and location
-not all people have sutural bones
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4 sutures of the cranium
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-coronal suture: runs in the coronal plane, located where parietal bones meet frontal bone
-squamous suture: occurs where each parietal bone meets a temporal bone inferiorly
-sagittal suture: occurs where right and left parietal bones meet superiorly
-lambdoid suture: occurs where the parietal bones meet the occipital bone posteriorly
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Hyoid bone
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-lies inferior to the mandible
-the only bone with no direct articulation with any other bone
-acts as moveable base and forms anchoring structures for the tongue
-consists of landmarks: greater horn, lesser horn, and body
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Vertebral Column
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-in adult is formed from 26 bones
-transmit weight of the trunk to the lower limb
-surrounds & protects the spinal cord
-serves as attachment sites for muscles of the neck and back
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Regions of Vertebral Column
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-5 major regions
-7 cervical vertebrae
-12 thoracic vertebrae
-5 lumbar vertebrae
-sacrum (five fused bones)
-coccyx
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Intervertebral Discs
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-cushion-like pads between vertebrae
-composted of 2 parts: nucleus pulposus and anulus fibrosus
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Nucleus pulposus
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-gelatinous inner sphere that absorbs compressive stresses
-shock absorber
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Anulus fibrosus
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-outer rings formed of ligament (dense regular)
-inner rings formed by fibrocartilage
-contains the nucleus pulpous
-holds everything together
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Herniated Intervertebral Disc
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-aka slip disc
-may be caused by trauma to the spine by repeated stress, wear&tear, or lifting heavy objects that causes rupture of anulus pulposus followed by protrusion of nucleus pulposus
-aging could also be a contributing factor where nucleus purposes loses cushioning properties and annulus fibrosis weakens
-can cause neurological problems of the spinal nerves that will cause inflammation, pain, and deficit in motor and sensory neurons that will block signals causing numbness or weakness in muscles
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General Structures of Vertebrae
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-body
-vertebral arch
-vertebral foreamen
-spinous process
-transverse process
-superior and inferior articular processes (where vertebral connect to each other
-intervertebral foramina (spinal nerves passes thru)
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Types of movement that occur between vertebrae
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-flexion and extension
-lateral flexion
-rotation in the long axis
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Characteristics of Cervical Vertebrae
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-are the smallest and lightest vertebrae
-C3-C7 are typical that have wider body laterally and have a spinous process that is short and bifid (except for C7)
-vertebral foramen are large and triangular
-transverse processes contain transverse foramina that are little holes to hold blood vessels and nerves
-superior articular facets face superioposteriorly
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The Atlas C1
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-lacks a body and spinous process
-supports the skull because it has very wide and large superior articular facets that receive the occipital condyles
-contains a transverse ligament that surrounds the dens that constrains amount of rotation you can get
-allows flexion and extension of the neck (nodding the head "yes")
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The Axis C2
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-has a body and spinous process
-contains a dens which projects superiorly
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Dens
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-aka odontoid process
-part of C2 that acts as a pivot for rotation of the atlas and skull
-participates in rotation the head from side to side (no)
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Thoracic Vertebrae
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-all articulate with the ribs
-heart-shaped bodies from superior view
-each side of the body of T1-T10 bears demifacts (costal facets) for articulation with ribs
- flexion and extension and lateral flexion, and a little rotation
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Superior and Inferior costal facet
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-where the head of the rib is attached to
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Transverse costal facet
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-where the tubercle of rib is attached to
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Lumbar Vertebrae
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-bodies are thick and robust
-transverse process are thin and tapered
-spinous processes are thick and blunt and point posteriorly
-superior and inferior articular facets directly medially
-allows flexion and extension - rotation prevented
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Sacrum
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-shapes the posterior walls of pelvis
-formed from 5 fused vertebrae during embryo stage
-superior surface articulates with L5 and inferior articulates with coccyx
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Sacral promontory
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-where the first sacral vertebrae bulges into pelvic cavity
-center of gravity is 1 cm posterior to this area
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Ala
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-upper lateral sides of the sacrum
-develops from fused rib elements
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Coccyx
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-aka tailbone
-formed from 3-5 fused vertebrae
-offers only slight support to pelvic organs but not necessarily, so therefore a vestigial structure
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Thoracic Cage
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-forms the bony framework of the chest
-components: thoracic vertebrae (posteriorly), ribs (laterally), sternum and costal cartilage (anteriorly)
-functions: protects thoracic organs, supports shoulder girdle and upper limbs, provides attachment sights for many back muscles
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Sternum
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-has 3 sections
-manubrium: superior section that contains a clavicular notches articulate with the medial end of clavicles
-body: bulk of sternum where sides are notched at articulations for costal cartilage of ribs 2-7
-xiphoid process: inferior end of sternum that ossifies around age 40, might break during Heimlich maneuver if it ossified
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Anatomical landmarks of Sternum
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-Jugular Notch: central indentation at superior border of the manubrium
-Sternal angle: a horizontal ridge where the manubrium joins the body
-Xiphisternal joint- where sternal body and xiphoid process fuse; lies at the level of the 9th thoracic vertebra
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Ribs
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-all ribs attach to vertebral column posteriorly
contains: true ribs (7) that have their own cartilage and attach to sternum by costal cartilage. false ribs (8-10) that share cartilage. floating ribs (11-12) do not attach to sternum
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Scoliosis
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-an abnormal lateral curvature
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Kyphosis
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-an exaggerated thoracic curvature, hunchback
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Lordosis
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-an accentuated lumbar curvature; 'swayback',
-can happen temporarily in pregnancy