Spine

Spine consists of five parts:

• Cervical part (pars cervicalis), which consists of 7 cervical vertebrae. 
• Thoracic part (pars thoracica), which consists of 12 thoracic vertebrae. 
• Lumbar part (pars lumbalis), made up from 5 lumbar vertebrae. 
• Sacral part (pars sacralis), made from 5 sacral vertebrae. 
• Coccygeal part (pars coccygea), consists from 3,4 coccygeal vertebrae fused together forming coccygeal bone (os coccygis).

Spine is S shaped organ with four curves.
      1. Primary curves (curvaturae primariae):

• Chest kyphosis (kyphosis thoracica), 
•  Thoracic kyphosis (kyphosis sacralis). 

      2. Secondary curves (curvaturae secundariae):

• Cervical lordosis (lordosis cervicis), 
• Lumbar lordosis (lordosis lumbalis). 

Vertebra (vertebra) anatomy 

• Vertebral body- corpus vertebrae. 
• Vertebral arch- arcus vertebrae. 
• Vertebral foramen – foramen vertebrale. 
• Upper vertebral notch – incisura vertebralis superior. 
• Inferior vertebral notch– incisura vertebralis inferior. 
• Intervertebral foramen- foramen intervertebrale. 
• Superior articular process- processus articularis superior s. Zygapophysis superior-two processes.
• Inferior articular process- processus articularis inferior s. Zygapophysis inferior – two processes. 
• Transverse process- processus transversus- two processes. 
•  Spinous process- processus spinosus. 

Different part of spine have diferently built vertebras to provide maximal support and cushion. Each part of spine has typical vertebras which have typical parts anatomical formations and atypical vertebras which have extra anatomical formations .

Cervical vertebras (vertebrae cervicales). 
Typical cervical vertebras (3rd-5th vertebra) in addition to basic vertebral formation have:

• Foramen trasversarium– foramen transversarium, 
• Anterior tubercle (tuberculum anterius) and posterior tubercle (tuberculum posterius) on processus transversus. 
• Deep spinal nerve sulcus (sulcus nervi spinalis) between tuberculum anterius and tuberculum posterius. 
• V shaped ending of processus spinosus. 
  
  
  
  

Atypical cervical vertebras are atlas, axis, 6th and 7th vertebra .
1. Atlas (atlas)

• Anterior arch- (arcus anterior) with articular facet for dens (fovea dentis).
• Posterior arch- (arcus posterior) with vertebral artery groove (sulcus arteriae vertebralis). 
• Side part (massa lateralis) - 2 parts with superior articular facet (facies articularis superior), inferior articular facet (facies articularis inferior). 
  

Axis (axis)

• Odontoid process (dens axis) with apex of peg (apex dentis), 
• Posterior articular facet  (facies articularis posterior), 
• Anterior articular facet (facies articularis anterior). 
  
  
  
  

6th cervical vertebra
Carotic tubercle (tuberculum caroticum)- big tuberculum anterius.

7th cervical vertebra (vertebra prominents)
Long processus spinosus- feelable under skin, often used as landmark.

Thoracical vertebras (vertebrae thoracicae) 

Typical throracical vertebras have:

• Superior costal dimple (fovea costalis superior) – half a dimple. 
• Inferior costal dimple (fovea costalis inferior) – half a dimple. 
• Transverse process costal dimple (fovea costalis processus transversi). 

Atypical thoracical vertebras are 1st, 10th, 11th and 12th. vertebras.
1st thoracical vertebra has full fovea costalis superior.
10th thoracical vertebra has no fovea costalis inferior. 
11th and 12th thoracical vertebra has one full costal dimple on its body,it doesnt have fovea costalis processus transversi.

 Lumbar vertebra (vertebrae lumbales).

 Lumbar vertebras have wide bodies and costal processus (processus costalis s. processus costiformis).

Sacrum (os sacrum) 

• Sacral base (basis ossis sacri) 
• Sacral promontory (promontorium)
• Superior articular process (processus articularis superior) –two processes. 
• Apex sacrum (apex ossis sacri)
• Pelvical surface (facies pelvica) 
•  Transverse lines (lineae transversae) – 4 lines. 
• Anterior foramina (foramina sacralia anteriora) – 4 pairs. 
• Dorsal surface (facies dorsalis) 
• Median sacral crest (crista sacralis mediana)
• Posterior foramina (foramina sacralia posteriora)- 4 pairs. 
• Sacral canal (canalis sacralis)
• Sacral hiatus (hiatus sacralis)
• Sacral horn (cornu sacrale)- two horns. 
• Side part (pars lateralis)- 2 parts 
• Auricular surface (facies auricularis)
• Sacral tuberosity (tuberositas ossis sacri)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

Coccygis (os coccygis) 
Coccygeal vertebras dont have vertebral arch (arcus vertebrae). Coccygeal bone has to coccygeal horn (cornu coccygeum)- two horns.