Spinal Cord Flashcards by Alec Bold

blood supply of spinal cord where located?

-2 posterior spinal arteries (right and left)
-1 anterior spinal artery
-Located in the subarachnoid
space

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Anatomical divisions of nervous system

-Central nervous system (CNS): Brain and spinal cord
-Peripheral nervous system (PNS): Nerves distributed throughout the body
• 12 cranial nerves
• 31 spinal nerves

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Functional divisions: afferent vs efferent

• Afferent (Sensory)
- Somatic: body wall structures

-Visceral: organs, blood vessels

• Efferent (Motor)
- Somatic: voluntary muscle movements

Autonomic
• Sympathetic- fight or flight
• Parasympathetic- rest or digest

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Spinal cord development

Up to 8th week of development the spinal cord and vertebral column are the same length
Spinal nerves run directly into corresponding musculoskeletal blocks (somites)
After 3rd month vertebral column elongates
Spinal nerves must course inferiorly

-Cell bodies for spinal nerves are at a higher vertebral level than the structures
they innervate.

-More pronounced inferiorly

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Spinal cord: Extent and Regionalization?

Superior border - Foramen magnum

Inferior border – L1/L2 (spinal nerves continue)

Regionalization
• Cervical (C1-C8) • Thoracic (T1-T12) • Lumbar (L1-L5) • Sacral (S1-S5) • Coccygeal (Co1)

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Spinal cord: Length and weight

Length • In males it measures 45cm • In females it measures 43 cm

Weight • Spinal cord weighs approximately 35 grams

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Shape: The spinal cord is an

elongated cylindrical
structure.

The shape is obscured by a cervical
enlargement and lumber enlargement.

At the termination it is dilated forming the
conus medullaris the conus

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spinal cord enlargements?

Cervical (C5-T1)

Source of brachial plexus, upper limb innervation

Lumbosacral (L1-S3)

Lumbar/Sacral plexus

Lower limb innervation

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Spinal cord: Inferior end

-Spinal cord cell bodies end inferiorly at the conus
medullaris.

-Spinal nerves continue inferiorly forming a
structure called the cauda equina.

-The pia mater extends to form a thin filament, the
filum terminale.

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Spinal cord: Surface features

Anterior median fissure: Contains anterior vessels

Posterior median sulcus

Anterolateral sulcus: ventral rootlets emerge

Posterolateral sulcus: dorsal rootless emerge

Posterior intermediate sulcus: Present in cervical/upper thoracic levels
-Divides gracile and cuneate fibers of the posterior trac

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spinal cord cross section

central canal
white matter: myelinated axons
grey matter: contains neuron cell bodies

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Grey matter: what does posterior (dorsal) horn consist of?
• Afferent/Sensory

afferent/sensory fibers

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what does the anterior or ventral horn consist of?

somatic efferent/motor fibers

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what does the lateral column of grey matter consist of and give the anatomy/function?

Autonomic Efferent fibers
- T1-L2 – Intermediolateral column (sympathetics), constitutes the thoracolumbar outflow

-S2-4 – Parasympathetics
• Give rise to pelvic splanchnic nerves.

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Posterior horn: Cross-sectional anatomy, explain the marginal zone (MZ, posterior
marginalis)?

• located at the tip of the dorsal
horn ((Laminae I)

• Important for relaying pain and
temperature sensation to the
brain.

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Posterior horn: Cross-sectional anatomy, explain Substantia gelatinosa of Rolando

Present at the tip of the posterior horn
It extends the entire length of spinal cord.

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explain the dorsolateral tract of Lissauer

White mater dorsal to the substantia gelatinosa
It extends the entire length of spinal cord

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explain nucleus proprius

Ventral/anterior to substantia gelatinosa
It extends the entire length of spinal cord
it occupies the head and neck of the posterior horn

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Posterior horn: Cross-sectional anatomy, nucleus thoracis or the dorsal nucleus of clarke

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Ventral to the nucleus proprius
Present in T1 - L3/L4 cord segment
It occupies the base of the posterior horn (Laminae VII)

‘• Composed mostly of large neurons

• Concerned with information from muscle spindles and tendon organs (relays unconscious
proprioceptive information to the brain)

Visceral Afferent Nucleus

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Anterolateral to the dorsal nucleus of clarke ((Lamina VII)
Contains autonomic neurons similar to lateral horn.
Afferents: Visceral afferents
Composed mostly of medium size neurons
Extends from T1 to L3 segments

White mater of spinal cord: Cross-sectional anatomy
• The white mater of the spinal cord subdivides into columns termed ________ and designated as ________

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Funiculi is designated as:
- Anterior funiculus

Lateral funiculus
Dorsal funiculus

Anterior funiculus location

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lies in between the anterior median fissure and ventral nerve

root.

Across the midline the anterior funiculi of both sides interconnect by way of
ventral white commissure

White mater of spinal cord: Cross-sectional anatomy • The white matter of
spinal cord contain? which vessels? What are the nerve fibers called?

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-blood vessels & bundles
of nerve fibres.

These bundles of nerve
fibres are called
tracts/fasciculi.

-A tract has a common
function and fasciculi
has diverse functions.

Anterior funiculus contains two tracts the ________ and the ________

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ascending tract and descending tract

the ascending tract of the anterior funiculus is the \_\_\_\_\_

anterior spinothalamic tract

the descending tract of anterior funiculus contains:

Anterior corticospinal tract: lying most medial to the anterior median fissure • Tectospinal tract • Vestibulospinal tract • Olivospinal tract

the lateral funiculus ascending tract contains:

* Lateral spinothalamic tract * Anterior spinocerebellar tract * Posterior spinocerebellar tract

Posterior funiculus:

A posterior intermediate septum subdivides the posterior funiculus into medial and lateral part • Contains dorsal column–medial lemniscus pathway (DCML) • Conveys fine touch, vibration, two-point discrimination, and proprioception (position) from the skin and joints.

Dura mater:

* Tough outer covering * It is mesodermal in origin * Attaches to the coccyx, CC1 via filum terminale • A subdural space separates dura mater from arachnoid mater

arachnoid mater:

-Web-like - Ends at S2 vertebra - Attached to dura though denticulate ligments -contains CSF (subarchnoid space)

pia mater:

* Thin layer on surface on spinal cord * Adherent to the surface of the spinal cord by pia-glia membrane * Attached to dura by denticulate ligaments

the pia and arachnoid mater are called _____ and are derived from \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_

Leptomeninges derived from neural crest cells

Other Arteries of spinal cord other are the\_\_\_\_\_ and originate from the ______ branches of \_\_\_\_\_

* anterior segmental medullary arteries * posterior segmental medullary arteries originate from cervical vertebral artery at level of branches C3-C8

The largest anterior segmental medullary artery is the \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_

The largest anterior segmental medullary artery is the artery of Adamkiewicz arteria (radicularis magna)

venous blood supply of spinal cord in archanoid space:

* Anterior spinal vein * Posterior spinal vein

venous blood supply in epidural space:

venous plexus (internal vertebral plexus)

the epidural space contains ______ and ______ (blood supply)

extradural fat and internal vertebral venous plexus

the epidural space is only located around ______ and not found in the \_\_\_\_\_\_\_

spinal cord, no epidural space in skull

spinal nerves regionalization and numbering

* 8 cervical * 12 thoracic * 5 lumbar * 5 sacral * 1 coccygeal • Number matches superior vertebral body **• EXCEPT – Cervicals**

Nomenclature of Spinal Nerves

note change in relation between spinal nerve number and vertebral number in cervical region - C1 exits superior to atlas. - C7 exits superior to C7 vertebra. - C8 exits between C7 and T1 exits inferior to T1 vertebrae.

Cervical spinal nerves are _____ and ____ oriented

short and horizontally

the cauda equina in dural sac. The dural sac extends from _____ to approximately ______ along with the \_\_\_\_\_\_mater and creates a large cistern of \_\_\_\_\_\_.

• Dural sac extends from foramen magnum to ~ S2, along with arachnoid; creates a large cistern of CSF.

pia mater from _________ extends within the dural sac, then externally to attach to the ______ known as the \_\_\_\_\_\_

pia mater from conus medullaris extends to externally attach to the filum terminale

Spinal nerves in the cauda equina exit _____ to vertebra of the _____ number

inferior, to same number of vertebrae

lumbar cord lies within: sacral cord lies within:

lumbar cord lies within: T11 and T12 sacral cord lies within: L1 and L2 vertebrae

Spinal Cord Flashcards

(46 cards)