Spinal Cord

Question 1

What is the Conus Medullaris?

Answer 1

Where the spinal cord terminates at the level of L1 vertebrae

Question 2

What is the cervical enlargement? Where is it?

Answer 2

C4-T1, related to brachial plexus (bundle of nerves that innervate the upper limb)

Question 3

What is the lumbrosacral enlargement? Where is it?

Answer 3

T11-S1, related to the lumbar and sacral plexuses (nerve plexuses that innervate the abdominal wall and lower limb)

Question 4

What are meninges?

Answer 4

membranes that surround the spinal cord and nerve roots- contains Cerebrospinal fluid

Question 5

What is the Dura Mater?

Answer 5

Outer most meningeal layer. Tough outer layer, Forms the Dural Sac

Question 6

What does the Dura Mater do?

Answer 6

Encloses the spinal cord, extends along nerve roots to the intervertebral foramina

Question 7

Where does the dura mater start/stop?

Answer 7

Forms Dural Sac that begins at foramen magnum of skull, ends at level of S2

Question 8

What is the arachnoid mater?

Answer 8

A delicate middle meningeal layer,

Question 9

How is the arachnoid mater attached to underlying membranes?

Answer 9

Arachnoid trabeculae (strands of connective tissue)

Question 10

What is the pia mater?

Answer 10

Thin layer that adheres directly to the surface of the spinal cord

Question 11

How does the pia mater attach to the dura mater? What does this do?

Answer 11

Attaches by Denticulate Ligaments (transverse extensions of pia mater). Suspends the spinal cord within the dural sac

Question 12

What is the Filum Terminale? What does it do?

Answer 12

Thin cord of pia mater that extends from conus medullaris to apex of the dural sac. Surrounded by spinal dura mater, and extends to the end of the vertebral canal to anchor both membranes to the coccyx.

Question 13

What is the epidural space? What is contained here?

Answer 13

Space between bony wall of vertebral canal and dura mater

Contains fat and vertebral venous plexus

Question 14

What is the subdural space? What is contained here?

Answer 14

A POTENTIAL space between dura and arachnoid layers.

Contains thin film of lubricating fluid

Question 15

What is the subarachnoid space?

Answer 15

Deep to arachnoid layer- Contains cerebrospinal fluid

Question 16

What is the lumbar cistern?

Answer 16

Enlargement of the subarachnoid space within the dural sac (inferior to conus medullaris)

Question 17

How many pairs of spinal nerves are there?

Answer 17

31 total 
8 cervical
12 thoracic
5 lumbar
5 sacral
1 coccygeal

Question 18

Anterior ROOT contains ______ fibers?

Answer 18

Motor (efferent)

Question 19

Posterior ROOT contain _______ fibers?

Answer 19

Sensory (afferent)

Question 20

Every spinal nerve divides into ______ and ______ ramus?

Answer 20

Posterior/Anterior

Question 21

What do anterior rami innervate?

Answer 21

Anterolateral trunk wall and the limbs

Question 22

What do posterior rami innervate?

Answer 22

The skin and muscles of the back and posterior scalp.

Question 23

Where does a spinal nerve exit the spinal cord?

Answer 23

Intervertebral foramina

Question 24

Where do cervical neres C1-C7 exit?

Answer 24

Superior to the vertebra of the same number

Question 25

Where does C8 spinal nerve exit?

Answer 25

Inferior to C7 vertebrae, superior to T1 vertebrae

Question 26

Where do spinal nerves T1-Co1 exit?

Answer 26

Canal inferior to the corresponding vertebrae

Question 27

What is the cauda equina?

Answer 27

Loose group of nerve roots that descend below the conus medullaris within the lumbar cistern in order to exit at the appropriate level

Question 28

What do anterior rami of the thoracic spinal nerves become?

Answer 28

Intercostal nerves- run in the spaces between the ribs in thoracic wall

Question 29

What plexus does the anterior rami of C1-C4 form?

Answer 29

Cervical plexus

Question 30

What plexus do the anterior rami of C5-T1 form?

Answer 30

Brachial plexus

Question 31

What plexus does the anterior rami of L1-L4 form?

Answer 31

Lumbar plexus

Question 32

What plexus does the anterior rami of L4-S3 form?

Answer 32

Sacral plexus

Question 33

The spinal cord terminates where?

Answer 33

At the L1 Vertebrae, terminates as the Conus Medullaris