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General Structure of a Vertebra01:30

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A typical vertebra, with the exception of the sacrum and coccyx, consists of a body, a vertebral arch, and seven different projections termed processes. The anterior portion of the vertebrae, the body, supports about half the body’s weight. The vertebral bodies progressively increase in size and thickness from the cervical region to the lumbar region of the vertebral column. The intervertebral discs present between the bodies of adjacent vertebrae firmly unites them, forming a continuous...
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The vertebral column or spine is a flexible column that supports the head, neck, and body and  allows for their movements. It also protects the spinal cord.
Regions of the Vertebral Column
In an adult, the spine is subdivided into five regions: the cervical, the thoracic, the lumbar, the sacral, and the coccygeal region. The spine initially develops as a series of 33 vertebrae; after 20 years of age, the nine bones in the sacral region, five sacral, and four coccygeal bones fuse to form...
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In addition to being held together by the intervertebral discs, adjacent vertebrae also articulate with each other at synovial joints formed between the superior and inferior articular processes called zygapophysial joints (facet joints). These are plane joints that provide for only limited motions between the vertebrae. The orientation of the articular processes at these joints varies in different regions of the vertebral column and serves to determine the types of motions available in each...
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The superior view of the cranium shows the frontal and paired parietal bones.
The frontal bone is the single bone that forms the forehead. At its anterior midline, between the eyebrows, there is a slight depression called the glabella. The frontal bone also forms the supraorbital margin of the orbit. Near the middle of this margin is the supraorbital foramen, the opening that provides passage for a sensory nerve to the forehead. The frontal bone is thickened just above each supraorbital margin,...
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The back muscles that lie deep into the thoracolumbar fascia are called intrinsic or true back muscles. These muscles are divided into four layers: superficial, intermediate, deep, and deepest layers.
Superficial Layer:
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Spinal nerves are pivotal conduits in the nervous system, bridging the central nervous system (CNS) with the peripheral nervous system (PNS). These nerves enable a complex communication network between the brain, spinal cord, and the rest of the body, facilitating sensory input, motor output, and autonomic functions.
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Shape analysis of the cervical spinous process.

Thomas M Greiner1

  • 1Department of Health Professions, University of Wisconsin - La Crosse, La Crosse, Wisconsin 54601.

Clinical Anatomy (New York, N.Y.)
|June 25, 2017
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Cervical spinous process shape varies significantly among vertebrae, with shorter processes showing more pronounced bifidity. This variation may be linked to the spinalis cervicis muscle and behavioral patterns of cervical load.

Keywords:
bifidcervical vertebraegeometric morphometricsshapespinous process

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Area of Science:

  • Anatomy
  • Morphology
  • Human Variation

Background:

  • Textbooks typically describe bifid spinous processes as characteristic of cervical vertebrae.
  • However, cervical vertebrae exhibit asymmetry and non-bifid variations, with high incidence in humans but significant racial/geographic variability.
  • The functional or developmental basis for this shape variation remains poorly understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To explore the distinctive shape variations of the cervical spinous process.
  • To analyze shape differences using geometric morphometrics and statistical comparisons.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of spinous processes from the third to seventh cervical vertebrae (C3-C7) in fifty individuals.
  • Evaluation of shape differences using geometric morphometrics.
  • Statistical comparisons employing 1000 permutations of a MANOVA-based analysis.

Main Results:

  • Significant shape differences were identified among cervical vertebrae (C3-C7).
  • No significant shape differences were found between C3-C4 and C4-C5 spinous processes.
  • Primary shape variations were attributed to the depth of bifid separation and process length, with shorter processes exhibiting greater bifidity.

Conclusions:

  • Cervical spinous process shape exhibits significant intervertebral variation.
  • Shorter spinous processes correlate with a more pronounced bifid condition.
  • Variation in the spinalis cervicis muscle and behavioral patterns related to cervical load likely explain these morphological differences.