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Part II ‐ Bones of the Neck and Trunk
Hyoid Bone
“Floats” in the neck
Is the attachment site for throat and tongue muscles
Vertebral Column
Provides flexible support and protects the spinal cord
The vertebral column has four major curvatures:
o Cervical
o Thoracic
o Lumbar
o Sacral/Coccygeal
Abnormal curvatures are
lordosis (lumbar)
kyphosis (thoracic)
scoliosis (lateral)
Vertebral Column (Vertebra)
Consists of a body, a vertebral arch, and various processes
o Part of the body and vertebral arch (pedicle and lamina)
form the vertebral foramen, which contains and
protects the spinal cord
o The transverse and spinous processes are points of
muscle and ligament attachment
o Vertebrae articulate with one another through the
superior and inferior articular processes
o Spinal nerves exit through the intervertebral foramina
Adjacent bodies are separated by intervertebral disks
o Fibrous outer covering (annulus fibrosus)
o Gelatinous interior (nucleus pulposus)
Vertebral Column Components
All seven cervical vertebrae have transverse foramina, and
most have bifid spinous processes
The 12 thoracic vertebrae have attachment sites for ribs and
are characterized by long, downward‐pointing spinous
processes
The five lumbar vertebrae have thick, heavy bodies and
processes.
o Their superior articular facets face medially and their
inferior articular facets face laterally
The sacrum consists of five fused vertebrae and attaches to the coxal bones to form the pelvis
The coccyx consists of four fused vertebrae attached to the sacrum
Thoracic Cage
The thoracic cage (consisting of the ribs, their associated costal cartilages, and the sternum) protects the thoracic
organs and changes volume during respiration
Twelve pairs of ribs attach to the thoracic vertebrae
o Seven pairs of true ribs
o Five pairs of false ribs
Two pairs of false ribs are floating
The sternum is composed of the
o Manubrium
o Body
o Xiphoid process