Spinal Cord Flashcards
Conus Medullaris
End tip of the spinal cord
Level of conus medullaris in newborns and adults
Newborns: L3/L4 Adults: L1/L2
Areas of the spinal cord that are enlarged
Cervical (5-T1) , Lumbosacral (L1-L3) : limbs need more innervation
Ventral median fissure
Wide groove on the anterior midline
Dorsal median sulcus
Narrow groove on the posterior midline
Order of nerves from medial to lateral
Spinal cord, rootlet, root, spinal nerve, rami
White matter: 3 tracts
Dorsal, spinothalamic, Lateral corticopinal (pyramid) tracts
Dorsal column of white matter
- Primary ascending fibers
- Transmits ipsilateral fine touch/proprioception
- Subsets: Fasciculus gracilis/cuneatus
- Synapses w/ 2º fibers within the nuclei of medulla, then decussates
Ascending fibers
Sensory fibers
Fasciculus gracilis
Subset of dorsal column that carries lower body info
Fasciculus cuneatus
- Subset of dorsal column, carries upper body information
- Only found in the upper body
Decussation
Crossing over the midline
Spinothalamic tract
- in both lateral and ventral columns
- 2º ascending fibers (synpasing in dorsal gray horn)
- Lateral tract transmits Contralateral pain/temp
- Anterior tract transmits crude touch/pressure
- synapse with 3º in thalamus
Clinical: unilateral lesions of spinothalamic tract cause what?
Contralateral anesthesia, 1-2 segments below lesion
Lateral Corticospinal (pyramidal tract)
- Lateral column of white matter
- Formed by descending upper motor neurons
- Synapse with lower motor neurons in ventral gray horn for distribution to keletal muscle for voluntary motor control