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Anatomy > Spinal Cord > Flashcards

Spinal Cord Flashcards

1
Q

blood supply of spinal cord where located?

A

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

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2
Q

Anatomical divisions of nervous system

A

-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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3
Q

Functional divisions: afferent vs efferent

A

• 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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4
Q

Spinal cord development

A
  • 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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5
Q

Spinal cord: Extent and Regionalization?

A

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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6
Q

Spinal cord: Length and weight

A

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

Weight • Spinal cord weighs approximately 35 grams

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7
Q

Shape: The spinal cord is an

A

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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8
Q

spinal cord enlargements?

A
  • Cervical (C5-T1)

Source of brachial plexus, upper limb innervation

  • Lumbosacral (L1-S3)

Lumbar/Sacral plexus

Lower limb innervation

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9
Q

Spinal cord: Inferior end

A

-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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10
Q

Spinal cord: Surface features

A

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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11
Q

spinal cord cross section

A
  • central canal
  • white matter: myelinated axons
  • grey matter: contains neuron cell bodies
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12
Q

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

A

afferent/sensory fibers

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13
Q

what does the anterior or ventral horn consist of?

A

somatic efferent/motor fibers

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14
Q

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

A

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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15
Q

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

A

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

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

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16
Q

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

A
  • Present at the tip of the posterior horn
  • It extends the entire length of spinal cord.
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17
Q

explain the dorsolateral tract of Lissauer

A
  • White mater dorsal to the substantia gelatinosa
  • It extends the entire length of spinal cord
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18
Q

explain nucleus proprius

A
  • 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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19
Q

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

A
  • 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)

20
Q

Visceral Afferent Nucleus

A
  • 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
21
Q

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

A

Funiculi is designated as:
- Anterior funiculus

  • Lateral funiculus
  • Dorsal funiculus
22
Q

Anterior funiculus location

A
  • 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
23
Q

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

A

-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.
24
Q

Anterior funiculus contains two tracts the ________ and the ________

A

ascending tract and descending tract

25
Q

the ascending tract of the anterior funiculus is the _____

A

anterior spinothalamic tract

26
Q

the descending tract of anterior funiculus contains:

A

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

27
Q

the lateral funiculus ascending tract contains:

A
  • Lateral spinothalamic tract
  • Anterior spinocerebellar tract
  • Posterior spinocerebellar tract
28
Q

Posterior funiculus:

A

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.

29
Q

Dura mater:

A
  • 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

30
Q

arachnoid mater:

A

-Web-like

  • Ends at S2 vertebra
  • Attached to dura though denticulate ligments

-contains CSF (subarchnoid space)

31
Q

pia mater:

A
  • 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
32
Q

the pia and arachnoid mater are called _____ and are derived from ________

A

Leptomeninges derived from neural crest cells

33
Q

Other Arteries of spinal cord other are the_____ and originate from the ______ branches of _____

A
  • anterior segmental medullary arteries
  • posterior segmental medullary arteries

originate from cervical vertebral artery at level of branches C3-C8

34
Q

The largest anterior segmental medullary
artery is the ________

A

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

35
Q

venous blood supply of spinal cord in archanoid space:

A
  • Anterior spinal vein
  • Posterior spinal vein
36
Q

venous blood supply in epidural space:

A

venous plexus (internal vertebral plexus)

37
Q

the epidural space contains ______ and ______ (blood supply)

A

extradural fat and internal vertebral venous plexus

38
Q

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

A

spinal cord, no epidural space in skull

39
Q

spinal nerves regionalization and numbering

A
  • 8 cervical
  • 12 thoracic
  • 5 lumbar
  • 5 sacral
  • 1 coccygeal

• Number matches superior vertebral body

• EXCEPT – Cervicals

40
Q

Nomenclature of Spinal Nerves

A

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.
41
Q

Cervical spinal nerves are _____ and ____ oriented

A

short and horizontally

42
Q

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

A

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

43
Q

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

A

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

44
Q

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

A

inferior, to same number of vertebrae

45
Q

lumbar cord lies within:

sacral cord lies within:

A

lumbar cord lies within: T11 and T12

sacral cord lies within: L1 and L2 vertebrae

Anatomy (12 decks)

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