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Module 01 · Anaesthesia Blueprints

Anatomy: exam notes and MCQs

Prepare anatomy for postgraduate anaesthesia examinations with structured notes, exam-style questions and referenced explanations from standard textbooks and current guidelines.

Practise all 56 Anatomy questions free →

Exam notes in this module

Larynx, trachea and airway innervation
Applied anatomy for intubation, airway blocks and front-of-neck access.
Applied anatomy of the vertebral column and spinal cord
Vertebrae, ligaments, meninges, epidural space, cord blood supply and surface landmarks for neuraxial techniques.
Applied anatomy of the lower limb for nerve blocks
Lumbar and sacral plexuses, femoral triangle, adductor canal, sciatic course, ankle — and which block covers which surgery.

Sample questions

Q1. The artery of Adamkiewicz most commonly arises from:

  1. The right side at C5
  2. A left posterior intercostal or lumbar artery between T9 and L2
  3. The vertebral artery
  4. The coeliac trunk
  5. The internal iliac artery
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Answer B: A left posterior intercostal or lumbar artery between T9 and L2

The great anterior radiculomedullary artery usually arises on the left (≈ 75%) between T9 and L2 and supplies the lower two-thirds of the anterior spinal artery. Injury (aortic surgery, coeliac plexus neurolysis, transforaminal injections) can cause anterior spinal artery syndrome: paraplegia and loss of pain/temperature with preserved proprioception and vibration.

Exam style: NEET-SS Anaesthesia

Q2. Anterior spinal artery syndrome characteristically spares:

  1. Motor power
  2. Pain sensation
  3. Temperature sensation
  4. Proprioception and vibration sense
  5. Bladder function
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Answer D: Proprioception and vibration sense

The anterior spinal artery supplies the anterior two-thirds of the cord (corticospinal and spinothalamic tracts, anterior horns). The dorsal columns (proprioception, vibration, fine touch) are supplied by the paired posterior spinal arteries and are spared.

Exam style: AIIMS INI-SS

Q3. In the adult lumbar region, the epidural space is widest:

  1. In the cervical region
  2. In the midline posteriorly at L2 (≈ 5–6 mm)
  3. Anteriorly
  4. Laterally only
  5. At the foramen magnum
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Answer B: In the midline posteriorly at L2 (≈ 5–6 mm)

The posterior epidural space is widest in the lumbar midline (≈ 5–6 mm at L2), narrower in the thoracic region (≈ 3–5 mm) and narrowest in the cervical region (≈ 1–2 mm, widening with neck flexion). It contains fat, veins (Batson's plexus), arteries and lymphatics.

Exam style: NEET-SS Anaesthesia

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