BIOMECHANICS

LECTURE 1 (1V SEMESTER)

SAMREEN IQBAL
BSPT, MSPT

Functional anatomy of the vertebrae are important to discuss here

to know, how they performed biomechanical function
To know how they respond the motion and load.
How much stronger to resist the counter forces.
OVERVIEW OF FUNCTIONAL ANATOMY OF
THE SPINE

Total 33 vertebrae and 23 intervertebral disc

Cervical .
Thoracic....!2
"umber#
$acral..#
Coccy%....&
'typical vertebraein cervical !,2 and

Typical vertebrae..from cervical 2 to

and thoracic to lumber
Five $acral vertebrae fused together form
wedge shape bone.
Four coccy% vertebrae are fused together and
form a single triangular bone
VERTEBRAE

F'C(T$ )*+,T
!. $uperior
2. +nferior
Joints of vertebral column

)*+,T -(T.((, T.* /(0T(-0'"

-*1+($
2 +ntervertebral disc
'tlanto3occipital 4oint
'tlanto3a%ial 4oint

'nterior and posterior longitudinal ligament

+ntertransverse ligament
$upraspinous ligament
+nterspinous ligaments
"igamentum flavum
"igamentum nuchae
Ligaments

SUPERFICIAL VERTICALLY RUNNING

MUSCLES
ERECTOR SPINAE including
!. +liocostalis
2. longissimus
3. spinalis
Muscles of the spine

Transversospinalis group
!. $emispinalis capitis
2. 5ultifidus
3. 0otators
Intermediate oblique
running muscles

Deep Muscles
+nterspinalis
+ntertransversari

PRIMARY CURVE
Thoracic and sacral
SECONDARY CURVES
Cervical and lumber
Function:
6rotection, mobility, support ,control
's close chain with head and ground that
remain the spine position provide stability
when sensory organ are move.7ear ,eye8
Advantages:
+mprove fle%ibility
According to Kapandi,
,ormal curve of the cervical, thoracic, lumber
has a !9 time more ability to resisted the
a%ial compression as compared to straight
rod like structure.
Normal curve

+n the fetus continuous anterior concavity

present.
'fter birth when child able to rise head and
sit so develop cervical and lumber vertebral
column concave posteriorly.
+n adult in standing position
Cervical: lumber posterior concavity
Thoracic:sacral posteriorly conve%ity.
Curves in the sagittal plane

+n childhood it is common to find the development of minor lateral

curvature in the thoracic region caused by predominant use of one of
the upper e%tremity.right handed have right side thoracic conve%ity.
Curves in coronal plane

6osterior conve%ity 7anterior concavity8

are referred to as kyphotic curve
'nterior conve%ity 7posterior convacity8
are called lordotic curve
Lordotic and !"photic
curves

/ertebral body,posterior elements,articular facets 7;ygapophyseal

apophyseal 84oints,intervertebral foramen included in support system.
-oth contractile7muscles8 and non contractile 7ligaments,fascia
capsules ,vertebral innervation8 are control system.
Supportive and control
s"stem

Functional components
ANTERIOR PILLARS#
2 /ertebral bodies
2 +ntervertebral 1isks
FUNCTION#
.eight bearing shock absorbing
portion
POSTERIOR PILLARS#
2 'rticular process and facet 4oints are
for the gliding mechanism for
movement.
2 Two vertebral arches,two transverse
processes, and central portion of
spinous process and muscles
attachment to the processes
2 Control the motion.

Functional unite:motion segments

<enerally the a%is of motion for each unit is in nucleus
palposes ,because spine can move top down,bottom up,
<lobally movement
<lobally spinal column motion.
Motion of the spinal column

Fle%ion7forward bending8 and e%tension 7backward bending8

with fle%ion, the anterior portion of the bodies appro%imate and
spinous processes separate.in the e%tension vice versa
Sagittal plane motion

"ateral fle%ion 7side bending8"eft:right..ith side bending lateral edges

of the vertebral bodies appro%imate on the side toward bebding side
and seprate from opposite side.
Frontal plane motion

0otation to the right result in relative movement of the body of the

superior vertebrae to the right and its spinous process to the left. The
opposite occurs with rotation to the left. +f movement occurs from the
pelvis upward.
Transverse plane motion

$hear occurs when the body of the superior vertebra translates

forward or backward on the one below.
Anterior$posterior shear

"ateral shear occur when the body of the superior vertebra translates
sideways on the one below.
Lateral shear

$eparation or appro%imation occurs with a longitudinal force .either

away from or toward the vertebral bodies.
Distraction$compression

Class activit"

Case studies
' 3# years old man do prolong
sitting during daily use of
computer after that chin of his
become forward and with
rounded shoulderswhat
does wrong with his cervical
sine and thoracic spine=
' &9 years old female with
heavy weight and big tummy
and feel pain in the lumber
region what could the
reason of it e%plain=

Consists of two ma4or parts>

'nterior
Cylindrically shaped vertebral body
6osterior
+rregularly shaped vertebral or neural arch
6edicles
6osterior elements
T"pical Vertebrae

weight3bearing structure of the spinal column.

-lock like shape with generally flat superior
and inferior surfaces.
+n order to minimi;e the weight of the
vertebrae and allow dynamic load3bearing,
/ertebral body is not a solid block of bone
$hell of Cortical bone, surrounding a
Cancellous cavity
The cortical shell is reinforced by trabeculae in
the cancellous bone, which provide resistance
to compressive forces
Vertebral bod"

,eural arch divided into two parts 6edicles and posterior

connection between the posterior elements and the vertebral bodies.
Transmit tension and bending forces from the posterior elements to the
vertebral bodies.
$hort, stout pillars with thick walls
6edicles increase in si;e from the cervical to lumbar regions,
<reater forces are transmitted through the pedicles in the lumbar region.
Neural arch

Pedicles
6edicles increase in si;e from the
cervical to lumbar regions,
<reater forces are transmitted
through the pedicles in the lumbar
region.

Transmit forces from the posterior elements to the pedicles and,

through them, onto the vertebral body.
This force transfer occurs through a region of the laminae called the
pars interarticularis.
6ortion between the superior ? inferior articular processes
Laminae

$ub4ected to bending forces as forces are transmitted from the

vertically oriented lamina to the more hori;ontally oriented pedicles.
5ost developed in the lumbar spine
Forces are the greatest in magnitud
'n increase in cortical bone occurs to accommodate the increased
forces in this region
+n some individuals,the cortical bone is insufficient, making them
susceptible to stress fractures
Pars interarticularis

$ites for muscle attachments

$erve to increase the lever arm for the muscles of
the vertebral column
Spinous processes % two
transverse processes

Case Study