Lec 14 Nervous System 2 - Spinal Cord Flashcards
what is the conus medullaris?
a cone shaped terminal part of spinal cord. L1 - L2
what is the cauda equine?
“Horse’s Tail”
composed of nerve fibers or axons
what is the filum terminale?
from tip of conus medullaris; a connective tissue that extends to the sacrum.
composed of pia mater
define meninges
connective tissue covering the brain and spinal cord
what are the different layers of meninges?
dura mater
arachnoid
pia mater
what is the dura mater?
the outermost layer
what is the arachnoid?
a flimsy, very thin layer.
what is the pia mater?
connective tissue that touches spinal cord and brain
where is the cerebrospinal fluid located? what is it produced by?
located in subarachnoid space, produced in ventricles of the brain aka choroid plexus
where is the subarachnoid space located?
deep to arachnoid, between arachnoid and pia mater
where is the epidural space located?
external to dura mater
where is subdural space located, what does it contain?
internal to dura mater, nothing is found here.
at which vertebral level could the spinal tap procedure be safely done?
L3-L4 or L4-L5 because the spinal cord ends at L1 - L2
what anatomical landmark would you use to located the correct level to do a spinal tap?
iliac crest
List in order the structures your needle would have to pierce to reach the subarachnoid space.
- skin
- subcutaneous tissue
- ligaments
- dura mater
- arachnoid mater - CSF fluid
