Intervertebral Foramen Flashcards
What is the average height of the intervertebral foramen?
about 13 mm
What percent of total vertebral column length does “true” intervertebral foramina height from C2-S1 equal?
40%
What percent of total vertebral column length does all intervertebral foramina height from occiput- Co1 equal?
53%
What are the generic contents of the intervertebral foramen?
neural tissue, connective tissue, vascular tissue, lymphatic tissue
What is the percent of neural tissue in the intervertebral foramen?
from 8 to 50 percent
What are medullary feeder arteries?
enlarged radicular arteries which join the arterial vasa corona to provide blood for the spinal cord
What is the name of the largest medullary feeder artery?
the artery of Adamkiewicz or the arteria radicalis magna anterior
What are the characteristics of the Artery of Adamkiewicz?
it is a left side, anterior medullary feeder artery, located in the T9/T10 intervertebral foramen, and the primary vascular supply to the lumbar enlargement
What veins drain the nerve root toward the intervertebral foramen?
the anterior and posterior radicular veins?
What ligament lies next to the anterior internal vertebral venous plexus?
the posterior longitudinal ligament
What will the intervertebral veins drain into?
the external vertebral venous plexus or Batson’s plexus
What is a unique histological features of the veins of the vertebral column?
they appear to lack valves
What size lymphatic vessels lie in the intervertebral foramen?
medium sized lymphatics
What type(s) of conncetive tissue will be present in the intervertebral foramen?
adipose tissue and loose areolar connective tissue
What parts of the cervical vertebra will modify the intervertebral foramen?
the lateral groove and uncinate process
What happens to cervical nerve roots between origin from the spinal cord and exit from the intervertebral foramen?
they descend along the spinal cord
What is the relationship between aging and cervical spine nerve root characteristics?
the length of the nerve increases as it descends from its apparent origin on the spinal cord but the cross-sectional area of the nerve root decreases
What is the relationship between aging and cervical spine intervertebral foramen size?
the cross-sectional area diminishhes after age 50
What are the specific attachment sites for a cervical spinal nerve?
the sulcus for the ventral primary ramus on the costotransverser bar & the vertebral artery
What contributes to the anterior boundary of the thoracic intervertebral foramen?
the costcocentral joint
Which are the largest spinal nerves?
L5 and S1 spinal nerves
What increases the length of the intervertebral foramen at L5?
the lumbosacral tunnel
What forms the lumbosacral tunnel?
the lumbosacral ligament, transverse process of L5 and sacral ala
What condition is the result of encroachment on the L5 spinal nerve?
the far out syndrome
