Spinal Column

medicnick83

medicnick83

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Hi all,

I'm trying to redo my 'notes' as it were on the spinal column from when I did my EMT-B course (BAA/BLS here in South Africa) or maybe, redoing it is not the word to use, improve it.

I was taught the basics and that the SC (Spinal Column) is;

* 33 vertabrae
* divided into 5 sections namely;
- Cervical 1 - 5
- Thoracic 1 - 12
- Lumbar 1 - 5
- Sacrum (5)
- Coccyx (4)

What I want to do is find out more, specifically the injuries you could get if you damage say C3 or C3, 4 & 5 (Diaphragm)

Can you guys help me out with the rest.

I have a piece of paper here but the page was photocopied for me and is so light that I really can't make anything out.

Thanks all! :)
 
Last edited by a moderator:
medicnick83 said:
Hi all,

I'm trying to redo my 'notes' as it were on the spinal column from when I did my EMT-B course (BAA/BLS here in South Africa) or maybe, redoing it is not the word to use, improve it.

I was taught the basics and that the SC (Spinal Column) is;

* 33 vertabrae
* divided into 5 sections namely;
- Cervical 1 - 5
- Thoracic 1 - 12
- Lumbar 1 - 5
- Sacrum (5)
- Coccyx (4)
Click to expand...
There are 7 cervical vertebrae.

What I want to do is find out more, specifically the injuries you could get if you damage say C3 or C3, 4 & 5 (Diaphragm)
Click to expand...

Are you talking about what sort of injuries would damage C3, 4, and 5?
 
JPINFV said:
There are 7 cervical vertebrae.
Click to expand...

Correct! Typo! (I can't seem to edit the post now, but yes, I know it has 7)

JPINFV said:
Are you talking about what sort of injuries would damage C3, 4, and 5?
Click to expand...

No, was referring to say, if you damage say, C3, 4 & 5 then you would 'damage' the diaphragm.

So, what would you cause if you damaged say C5 & C6 or just C7 - what about S2, 3 & 4?

Does it make more sense?
 
It depends on how you damage it. You don't really damage the diaphragm by damaging C3-5, you damage the phrenic nerve, which innervates the diaphragm. Similarly, depending on the injury will determine the injury pattern past the injury. For example, if only half the spinal cord is damage (a "Brown-Sequard" lesion), you would lose motor function on the same side at and below the lesion, pain/temperature sensation on both sides at the lesion, pain/temperature sensation on the opposite side below the lesion (whereas motor nerves cross over at the brain stem, pain and temperature sensation crosses over at where the nerves enter the spinal column).

What you need to know to determine what is affected by a spinal column injury is the innervation of the muscles (deep tendon reflexes generally match up with the muscles they control, but it isn't always exact) and the dermatomes.

http://emtmedicalstudent.wordpress.com/2010/11/25/the-1-2-3s-of-dtrs-and-dermatomes/
 
Strangely there's a good page at wikipedia that has a lot of this information summarised:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_vertebral_column

In addition to Brown-Sequard, take a look at anterior cord syndrome and central cord syndrome.

Bear in mind as well that major neurologic deficits can arise that damage at extraspinal regions, e.g. cervical, brachial plexi

See here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Gray838.png

Another good image here (you could see how a fractured clavicle might mash this area:

http://www.painneck.com/images/cervical-rib.jpghttp://www.painneck.com/images/cervical-rib.jpg
 
Look up "dermatomes"

Not the skin slicer, the zones of the body affected by which levels of spinal nerves. It does not address some like the phrenic as well as others, but it can be of use considering funny pains and muscle group weaknesses.
 
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