Vertebral Column and Back MCQs

Anatomy · 18 free questions with answers & explanations.

1. A lumbar disc herniation at the L4-L5 level typically compresses which nerve root, producing weakness of which movement?
2. A 45-year-old construction worker presents with low back pain radiating to the lateral calf and dorsum of the foot, with weakness of dorsiflexion of the ankle and loss of sensation over the first web space. The disc herniation responsible is compressing which nerve root at which level?
3. A patient develops acute low back pain radiating to the right foot (S1 distribution). MRI shows a postero-lateral disc herniation at L5–S1. The posterolateral disc herniation at L5–S1 typically compresses which nerve root?
4. L4–L5 is the most common level for lumbar disc herniation. A posterocentral disc herniation at this level compresses which nerve root in the lateral recess, and what dermatomal/myotomal deficit results?
5. A patient with a C5-C6 disc prolapse compressing the C6 nerve root presents with paresthesia in the thumb and index finger, weakness of which muscle, and diminished which reflex?
6. A 45-year-old patient with cervical spondylosis at C5-C6 level presents with pain radiating down the lateral forearm and thumb, weakness of elbow flexion and wrist extension, and a diminished biceps jerk. Which nerve root is compressed?
7. A 45-year-old man presents with back pain and progressive weakness of knee extension and loss of knee jerk. MRI shows a posterolateral disc prolapse at L3-L4 level. Which nerve root is most likely compressed?
8. A 65-year-old patient undergoes lumbar spinal stenosis surgery. The ligamentum flavum is hypertrophied and contributes to the stenosis. What is the histological composition of the ligamentum flavum that makes it prone to hypertrophy with age?
9. In lumbar disc herniation, the posterolateral disc protrusion at the L4-L5 level typically compresses which nerve root within the lateral recess?
10. A 50-year-old with L4-L5 disc prolapse develops weakness of knee extension, reduced knee jerk, and sensory loss over the medial leg and dorsum of foot. Which nerve root is most likely compressed, and why does L4 radiculopathy produce these specific findings?
11. The ligamentum flavum is the structure most prone to hypertrophy causing lumbar canal stenosis. It connects adjacent laminae. Hypertrophy of this structure causes neurogenic claudication by compressing the:
12. The nucleus pulposus is a remnant of which embryological structure, and at which intervertebral disc level does it most commonly herniate posterolaterally?
13. The posterior longitudinal ligament (PLL) is narrower in the lumbar region than the cervical region. Which clinical consequence follows from this anatomical feature?
14. A patient with a central disc herniation at L4–L5 level presents with bilateral leg weakness, saddle anaesthesia, and urinary retention. The compressed neural elements are:
15. A patient with chronic ankylosing spondylitis develops a characteristic spinal deformity. The posterior longitudinal ligament (PLL) has a specific anatomical property that makes it more protective against posterior disc herniation at the lumbar level than the anterior longitudinal ligament. What is this property?
16. The ligamentum flavum (yellow ligament) connects adjacent vertebral laminae. It has the highest elastin content of any spinal ligament. Hypertrophy of the ligamentum flavum is a major contributor to which clinical syndrome, and at which level is this most common?
17. A spinal needle inserted for lumbar puncture at L4–L5 passes through which structures in sequence from superficial to deep?
18. At what vertebral level does the spinal cord terminate (conus medullaris) in an adult, and what are the clinical implications of this for lumbar puncture?