124 



ARTICULATIONS OF THE TRUNK AND HEAD. 



Fig. 112. 



and the roots of the spines. Their outer margins are close to the articu- 

 lating processes ; their inner margins lie in contact in the middle line, and 

 in that situation the ligaments are thickest. 



Fig. 111. Fig. 111. THE ARCHES OP THREE DORSAL VER- 



TEBRA, SEEN FROM BEFORE, TO SHOW TEE LlGA- 

 MENTA SUBFLAVA. ^ 



The bodies of the vertebrae have been removed by 

 sawing through the pedicles, showing the articular 

 capsules and the ligamenta subflava. 



The ligamenta subflava do not exist be- 

 tween the occiput and the atlas, nor between 

 the latter and the axis ; common fibrous 

 membrane supplies their place in these two 

 spaces, constituting posterior occipito-atlautal 

 and atlanto-axial ligaments. 



The interspinaus ligaments, thin and 

 rather membranous, have an attachment 

 extending from the root to near the 

 summit of each spinous process, and 

 connect the inferior border of one with 

 the superior border of that next below 

 it. They are best seen in the lumbar 

 region, and are least developed in the 

 neck. 



The supraspinous ligaments consist of 

 small compressed bundles of longitudinal 

 fibres, which connect the summits of the 



iFig. 112. ANTERO-POSTERIOR VERTICAL SEC- 

 TION OF THE UPPER PART OF THE VERTEBRAL 



COLUMN, AND PART OF THE OCCIPITAL BONE, 

 SHOWING THE ARTICULATIONS (after Arnold). 



1, 1, anterior common ligament of the bodies 

 of the vertebrae ; 1', anterior atlanto-occipital 

 ligament ; 2, from this figure upwards the pos- 

 terior common ligament of the bodies ; 2', the 

 continuation of the preceding and the apparatus 

 ligamentosus lying on the basilar process of 

 the occipital bone ; 3, 3, 3, these figures are 

 placed on the inside of the arches of the 2nd 

 and 7th cervical and 6th dorsal vertebrae ; the 

 ligamenta subflava are to be seen stretching 

 between the laminae ; 4, 4, placed upon two of 

 ,the interspinous ligaments ; 4', divided edge of 

 the occipital bone behind the foramen magnum, 

 and below it, the posterior occipito-atlautal 

 ligament and ligaments of the arches; 5, 5, 

 supraspinous ligaments ; 6, ligamentum nuchae ; 

 x , its upper extremity at the occipital tube- 

 rosity ; x x , its lower extremity terminating 

 in the supraspinous ligaments of the upper 

 dorsal vertebrae. 



spinous processes, and form a continuous 



chain from the seventh cervical vertebra to the spine of the sacrum. The 

 posterior fibres pass down from a given vertebra to the third or fourth 



