Spinal cord

Question 1

What do the cervico-lumbar enlargements of the spinal cord correlate to?

Answer 1

Brachial and lumbar plexus’

Question 2

At what level does the spinal cord terminate?

Answer 2

L1-2

Question 3

spinal cord is incompletely divided into two symmetrical halves by what 2 structures?

Answer 3

dorsal median sulcus and ventral median fissure

Question 4

The grey matter of the spinal cord is sub divided cytoarchitecturally into what?

Answer 4

Rexeds laminae.

Question 5

How can the spinal cord become injured?

Answer 5

Trauma - direct or as a result of disc protrusion
Neoplasia - direct invasion (rare) or pathological vertebral #
Inflammatory - RA/ OA (osteophytes compressing nerve roots)
Vascular - stroke (rare in cord) or as complication of aortic dissection
Infection - TB, epidural abscesses.

Question 6

Hemisection of the cord producing ipsilateral loss of proprioception and upper motor neurone signs, plus contralateral loss of pain and temperature sensation.

Answer 6

Brown- Sequard syndrome

Question 7

Lesions below L1 will tend to present with UMN signs or LMN signs?

Answer 7

LMN signs