The Spinal Cord =

Medulla Spinalis
Introductory and Neuroanatomy Lectures
Department of Clinical Anatomy
Faculty of Health Sciences
 INTRODUCTION

• 18 “ long (46 cm)

• Within the vertebral column
• Ends In newborn (L3); In adults
(L1-L2)
• Above : Continuous with the
medulla oblongata
• Below : It ends in a tapered
extremity = Conus Medullaris
• Cylindrical in shape with 2 enlargements
• Cervical (C5-T1) – for supply of upper
limbs
• Lumbar (L3-S3) – for supply of lower limbs
 FILUM TERMINALE

From the tip of the conus a slender

thread – filum terminale- is prolonged

downwards as far as coccyx

 THE CAUDA EQUINA
Is lower lumbar, sacral & coccygeal nerve roots that descend almost vertically in
the form of a leash through lower part of vertebral canal
 SEGMENTATION OF CORD

Spinal cord is divided into four

major regions: cervical, thoracic,
lumbar, & sacral. Spinal cord
segments are numbered by exit
points of their associated spinal
nerves

(Note: This does not necessarily

correlate numerically with the
nearest skeletal element)
SEGMENTATION OF CORD

31 pairs of spinal nerves

• 8 cervical

• 12 thoracic

• 5 lumbar

• 5 sacral

• 1 coccygeal
 SPINAL SEGMENTS

Spinal cord consists of 31

segments innervating a
specific area in the trunk
or limbs.
 Afferent (sensory) posterior
rootlets and efferent (motor)
anterior rootlets form the posterior
and anterior roots.
 Two roots fuse to form a
mixed spinal nerve, which
then divides into various
branches
 TRANSVERSE SECTION OF SPINAL CORD
• The spinal cord is flattened antero-posteriorly

• Grey matter – central zone

• White matter – peripheral zone

Gray
matter

White
matter
 TRANSVERSE SECTION OF SPINAL CORD
• Grey matter more prominent in cervical and lumbar enlargements – area where
nerves supplying limbs arise
• Deep anterior median fissure
• Shallow posterior median sulcus
 GREY MATTER
H shaped 2 anterior horns (anterior grey columns)
2 posterior horns (posterior grey columns)
central transverse bar
 GREY MATTER
• In thoracic & upper lumbar segments, there are lateral horns of grey matter
(contain cell bodies for sympathetic nervous system)
 GREY MATTER
Substantia Gelatinosa : Is semi-transparent nerve tissue capping the posterior horn
 WHITE MATTER
• Surrounds grey matter
• Contains myelinated nerve fribres & neuroglia
• White matter divided into 3 columns - Anterior
- Lateral

- Posterior
 TYPE OF FIBRES

a) INTERSEGMENTAL : linking various segments of the cord

b) COMMISSURAL : interconnect opposite sides of the cord

c) PROJECTION/ ITINERANT : connect brain and spinal cord conveying

impulses from one to the other and constituting various tracts
T/S OF SPINAL CORD AT DIFFERENT LEVELS
In adults, the spinal cord ends at approximately the level of L1. Below this, ventral and
dorsal roots course through the vertebral canal, uniting in the intervertebral foramen to
form the spinal nerve
 THE DERMATOME
 Spinal cord consists of 31segments innervating
a specific area in the trunk or limbs.
 Region of the skin innervated by the spinal
nerve is its Dermatome
 THE SPINAL NERVES
31 pairs of nerves

Arising from each side of the spinal cord are 2 roots

Dorsal or Posterior root (Efferent fibres)

Ventral or Anterior root (Afferent fibres)
 THE SPINAL NERVES
• These two roots join to form the mixed spinal nerve in the intervertebral foramina

• Each dorsal root has a ganglion upon it close to its point of fusion with the ventral root

• Spinal nerves are short, dividing almost immediately into ventral and dorsal rami
(containing afferent and efferent fibres)

Dorsal root ganglion

 THE SPINAL NERVES

• Rami are responsible for :

• Motor innervation of skeletal muscles of the neck , trunk & limbs

• Sensory innervation of same areas

• Dorsal rami supply

posterior ½ of the
trunk and neck

• Ventral rami supply

anterior ½ of the
trunk and neck
 MENINGEAL COVERINGS OF THE SPINAL CORD
• Both brain & cord are enclosed & protected by 3 membranes viz- dura mater, arachnoid &
pia mater – which are directly continuous through foramen magnum
• Dura is tough & fibrous; arachnoid is loose; pia is vascular investing brain & cord
 EXTRADURAL SPACE
• Dura mater – only inner meningeal layer is present
• Spinal dura separated from walls of vertebral canal

Definite space,
containing fatty
tissue & a plexus
of veins
 SUBARACHNOID SPACE
Containing cerebrospinal fluid- ends blindly below level of S2 vertebra = Lumbar Cistern
 SPINAL CORD LESION / INJURY

depends on level of lesion and components

affected e.g sensory or motor
Cervical lesion
- usually affects the whole body except head and

neck region

Thoracic lesion
- usually involves abdominal and lower limb regions

Lumbar lesion
- affects the lower limb

Cauda equina lesion

-sciatic pain, wasting of the hamstrings and calves and sensory
loss in the saddle area