The spine is the main axis to which almost all internal organs in the human body are attached. Its constituent parts are the vertebrae, the structure and functions of which are different in each department. The total number of human vertebrae reaches thirty-four.
Anatomy
The human spine includes 5 departments of different functions and structure, each of which differs in the number of vertebrae:
- The upper section relative to the head is the cervical. It has seven vertebrae, of which four are typical and three are atypical, their encoding is C1 - C7. The name comes from the word cervix - "neck" (lat.).
- The next section of the spine in vertebrates is the thoracic. It has 12 vertebrae. The last one is atypical. The medical coding of this part of the spine is Th1 - Th. Derived from thorax - "chest" (lat.);
- Below the thoracic is the lumbar. The spine in this place consists of five typicalparts, medical coding - L1 - L. It is true for this department of the origin of the name from the name of the department in Latin - lumbalis - "lumbar".
- Next comes the sacrum, which is the sacral spine. Its difference from all the departments located above is that it is represented by five fused components - vertebrae, separated by transverse lines. In humans, this bone has a triangular shape, connected to the pelvic bones and the coccyx. The medical terminology of the names of the vertebrae that form the sacrum is S1 - S. From the word sacrum - "sacrum". The united sacrum in Latin is called os sacrum.
- The last and lowest part of the spine relative to the ground is called the coccygeal. It is tightly fastened to the sacrum. The spine in the coccygeal region may consist of four or five vertebrae. The medical coding - Co1 - Co, comes from the name of the bird whose beak shape it resembles - coccyx. The name of a single bone is os coccygis.
The spine is a vertically located pillar in the human body. Hence the name Columna Vertebralis, which determined the spine - the vertebral column. The vertebrae are interconnected by intervertebral discs. Between the anatomical formations of the vertebrae there are a large number of ligaments, cartilage and joints, which ensures the flexibility and mobility of the vertebrae among themselves. The most mobile department is the cervical. The least mobile part of the spine is the lumbosacral. Also in the structure of the spineincluded curves called lordosis and kyphosis.
Origin of Vertebrates
In the process of phylogeny, vertebrates evolved from the simplest chordates. The spine in the animal kingdom originated from the notochord, a long longitudinal dorsal cord, which is often present in the individual development of each of the currently existing vertebrate species at some stages of intrauterine development. In addition to humans, the class of vertebrates includes fish, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and mammals.
Spine in embryonic development
The spine is an organ that, in the process of embryonic development, is formed in the second week from the primary germ layer - the ectoderm. The spine at the beginning of development is represented by cartilaginous tissue. Primarily formed chord, after enveloping the bone tissue of the vertebrae, remains between them in the intervertebral discs. By the end of the second month of pregnancy, ossification of the vertebrae occurs.
Functions of the spine
The spine is an organ that provides the body with many functions. The main functions of the spine include supporting, protective, cushioning and motor.
Motor function of the spine
In addition to the fact that the pelvic bones are attached to the spine, on which the legs are attached, providing the overall mobility of the human body in space, the spine also provides mobility of the body in different planes. Movement becomes possible due to the ligamentous-articular apparatus of the vertebrae and processes. With regard to mobility, the greatestmobility is distinguished by the cervical and lumbar spine, the thoracic region is less mobile due to the ribs attached to it, and the sacral and coccygeal regions are completely motionless. Provide movement of the spine a lot of muscles that are attached to different processes of the vertebrae. The condition of the intervertebral discs plays a major role in determining the mobility of the spine.
Protection function
The spine is a dense, bony shell, which performs a protective function for the main source of transmission of nerve impulses in the human body - the spinal cord. To protect it, in the process of phylogenesis, three different shells took shape - hard, arachnoid and soft, located one under the other and forming a system of spaces. Also, from 31 to 33 nerves depart from the spinal cord, which innervate one or another part of the body. Spinal cord injuries can lead to many complications, including paralysis.
Support and depreciation function of the spine
When moving, a person leans on his legs, and the spine is attached to the legs through the pelvic bones. In humans, due to the vertical way of movement, the maximum load goes precisely to the spine, to which many organs are attached through fascia and muscles. It is possible to trace a consistent increase in the size of the vertebrae from top to bottom. Due to the high load on the pelvic bones, it is the bones of the lumbar spine that are the largest and strongest. The first and second cervicalvertebrae - atlas and epistrophy, to which the skull is attached, and many ligaments to hold it in a normal position.
Depreciation function. It lies in the fact that during movement, the load on the spine is reduced due to vibration acting on the back. The depreciation function is performed due to the many muscles around the spine, which do not allow the vertebrae to move between themselves. However, inflammation of the muscle fiber is possible, due to extreme stress on the muscles. The articular and ligamentous apparatus of the spine also help in this function.
Muscular apparatus of the spine
There are many muscles attached around each vertebra called paravertebral muscles. In their work, they hold the vertebrae in their place, allow for conscious movements of the body back and forth. They are attached to the natural processes of the vertebrae. Strong loads of the paravertebral muscles lead to their stretching - myasitis, and the impossibility of the correct functioning of this muscle. In addition, the longest muscle of the back, longissimus, is located around the vertebra, which is retractor in function, and it is she who is responsible for giving a straight shape to the spine, attaching from the pelvic bones to the base of the skull.
Spine injuries
The spine is a part of the body that is often injured. A spinal injury is a damage received in one form or another to the components that form and give mobility to the spinal column. They arise due toreceived mechanical damage to the body. Injuries to the spine, especially the back, often lead to disability if the spinal cord is affected. In addition, if the latter is damaged, death is possible due to pain shock or injuries.
Factors leading to spinal injuries
Injuries to such a protected part of the body are possible only in the case of a significant application of force to this part of the body. Injuries to the spine can be caused, for example, by road traffic injuries, strong blows during sparring in sports, falls from a great height. In the presence of pathological changes in the back, spinal injuries are possible due to a fall from a small height, a sudden movement.
Types of spinal injuries
Injuries of the spine are divided into open and closed. If the injury is received with an open wound, it is called open, with a closed injury - closed. By type of spinal injury are classified into:
- Bruised parts of the human spine. There are hematomas and without.
- Sprain of the ligamentous apparatus of the spine.
- Fractures or fissures in any part of a vertebra (vertebral body or arch, spinous and transverse processes).
- Complete and incomplete dislocations of the vertebrae.
By danger to later life, spinal injuries are divided into stable - not leading to further deformation and unstable - leading to continued deformation.
Spinal injuries are also classified according to the effect on the spinal cord - into reversible and irreversible. They also include spinal compressionbrain, resulting from edema or hematoma of this part of the spine.
Treatment of the spine, symptoms
To establish a diagnosis, the attending physician must necessarily send the patient to an x-ray in two planes to determine the axis of the spine. Depending on what diagnosis is revealed, the doctor will prescribe specific methods of therapy. Also, the doctor pays special attention to the symptoms that made the patient come to the appointment.
When spinal injuries a person feels severe pain. Due to the very high number of nerve roots, any injury to the spine leads to the fact that a person experiences tremendous pain, which can radiate to many parts of the body. When trying to move, the appearance of very sharp pain is often possible. With sprains, there are difficulties in movements, sharp pain, touches cause suffering to a person. In the case of fractures of sections of the constituent parts of the spine, the patient most often complains of diffuse pain. With dislocations and subluxations, the turning movements of the human body are difficult, and pain also occurs. Symptoms of spinal cord injury vary greatly depending on the location of the injury.
For mild spinal injuries, the patient may be prescribed bed rest for up to two months, with pain medication if necessary. Treatment may require massage and thermal treatments. Moderate and severe spinal injuries lead to the placement of the patient in the ward fortherapy in the hospital. In this case, the patient is often fixed in a fixed position, if necessary, by adjusting parts of the vertebrae before immobilization. Surgical intervention is necessary for injuries of the spinal cord or with continued compression. If traditional treatment fails, a referral for a planned operation to reconstruct the injured back segments is possible.
Injury recovery measures include a diet rich in vitamins and minerals, calcium and iron foods, and general tonics.
