Spinal Cord Flashcards
At the cervical thoracic border, what is the change in the vertebral level?
C1-C7 nerves exit superior to their vertebrae
C8 and T1-L5 nerves exit inferior to their vertebrae
The sacral cord ends at what level?
L2
What is the coccygeal ligament?
Dural sac terminates and gives rise to the ligament. It runs down the coccyx and attaches here
What does the dural sleeve cover? Why?
-cover spinal cord, roots, and the dorsal root ganglia due to their position with the intervetebral foramen
What do arachnoid trabeculae do?
They run from arachnoid to pia mater on the cord
What are denticulate ligaments?
-run from dura to pia/cord and help stabilize the spinal cord in the horizontal plane
The cord tapers down to _______________ at what level? Then after that it becomes what?
- tapers down to the conus medullaris at level L2
- cauda equina
What stabilizes the spinal cord in the vertical plane?
-filum terminale and coccygeal ligament outside of the dural sac
Where does the lumbar cistern begin?
L3
Is the subarachnoid space the same through every vertebral level?
Nope. They vary a lot!
What are the layers of the spinal cord in order from deep to superficial?
- spinal cord
- pia
- CSF
- arachnoid
- dural sheath
- epidural space
In the brain, the dura mater in directly attached to the skull. Is this different with the spinal cord?
- oh yea
- there is epidural space in the spinal cord filled with vessels and fat
What does the central canal do?
It runs the entire length of the cord and has a little bit of CSF since the cord developed from a fluid filled tube
What is primarily found in grey matter?
Primarily cell bodies! Neurons and glia
What is found in white matter?
- glia
- myelinated axons
Are there neuron cell bodies in white matter>
Nope
Why is there SOME stain for myelin in grey matter?
Neuron cell bodies have some myelin because some are myelinated and some are not.
In rostral-caudal order, where is there an enlargement of grey matter? Why?
- brachial plexus (C5-T1)
- Lumbar PLexus (L1-L4)
- Sacral Plexus (L4-S4)
-where you control extremities, you need more cells!
What is substantia gelatinosa?
-incoming sensory fibers carrying pain and temperature synapse
What is the lamina number where pain/temp fibers terminate and synapse?
II (2)
-in posterior/ dorsal horn
Which lamina are in the posterior/dorsal horn?
- Substantia gelatinosa (II)
- Crude(III and IV and V)
Which laminae are in intermediate grey matter?
- VII
- preganglionic sympathetic neurons
- intermediomedial cell column
Which laminae are in the anterior/ventral horn?
VIII, IX motor neurons
What laminae do crude touch fibers terminate and synapse?
III,IV,V
-in posterior/dorsal horn
Where are the preganglionic sym and para neurons located?
Intermediomedial cell column (intermediate grey space)
What are the 3 funiculi of the white matter?
- posterior
- lateral
- anterior