Blood Supply (Spinal Cord)

Question 1

What is the anterior spinal artery?

Answer 1

A single artery that descends anteriorly along the length of the spinal cord
*supplies the anterior 2/3 of the spinal cord (anterior and lateral columns of the spinal cord)

Question 2

What does the anterior spinal artery originate from?

Answer 2

-R/L vertebral arteries
-various segmental branches at different levels of the spinal cord

Question 3

What are the posterior L/R spinal arteries?

Answer 3

A pair of arteries that run posteriorly along the length of the spinal cord

Question 4

What do the posterior spinal arteries originate from?

Answer 4

Small branches of the vertebral arteries (various segmental branches of at different levels of the spinal cord)

Question 5

What do the posterior spinal arteries supply?

Answer 5

The posterior 1/3 of the spinal cord (posterior columns of the spinal cord)

Question 6

What do the spinal cord and vertebrae drain into?

Answer 6

A massive longitudinal venous plexus system

Question 7

What does the massive longitudinal venous plexus system drain into?

Answer 7

-azygos system
-iliac veins of pelvis
-head/neck veins

Question 8

What are the two sub-divisions of the massive longitudinal venous plexus system?

Answer 8

-external vertebral plexus (anterior and posterior external plexus) aka all of the veins on the outside of the vertebral column on both sides

-internal vertebral plexus: Batson plexus (valveless network of veins that are located longitudinally in the vertebral canal)

Question 9

What us the advantage of the massive/diffuse venous return system of the spinal cord?

Answer 9

Allows for multiple pathways to get blood back to the heart

Question 10

What is the disadvantage of the massive/diffuse venous return system of the spinal cord?

Answer 10

Can act as a pathway for cancer and infections to spread to the spine
The plexus communicates with venous return from: pleural viscera of prostate/bladder/rectum, kidneys, lungs

*cancer cells from these regions can travel to Batsons plexus and the infection/cancer can grow within vertebral bodies