Spinal cord function and dysfunction Flashcards
The effect on what is the most important in spinal injury
White matter
What does the cervical enlargement have extra motor neurones for?
They go to the muscles of the upper limbs
What does the lumbosacral enlargement have extra motor neurones for?
They go to the muscles of the lower limbs
What would a lesion below the lumbosacral enlargement cause
The spinal nerves below the lesion function would be affected, it would stop the pathway carrying motor innervations from the brain to the bladder so would cause incontinence
What would a lesion in the mid-thoracic region cause
Loss of voluntary control of the lower limbs (paraplegia)
A lesion above which vertebrae will result in not being able to breathe?
C3-C5
What part of the spinal cord is used to sample CSF
Lumbar cistern
What are the 3 layers of the meninges
Dura mater
Arachnoid mater
Pia mater
Where is CSF in the meninges
The subarachnoid space
What are denticulate ligaments
Little protrusions of the pia mater that tether the spinal cord and hold it in the middle of the subarachnoid space
What is in the epidural space
It is full of venous plexuses and fatty tissue
Why is the epidural space clinically useful
You can inject anaesthetic by giving an epidural
What are the three most important tracts in spinal cord injury
Lateral corticospinal tract- motor (fine movements)
Dorsal columns- sensory (touch, vibration and pressure)
Spinothalamic tract- sensory (pain and temperature)
What are the two stages of response to injury in the lateral corticospinal tract
Stage 1- spinal shock- lose all reflex activity below the lesion- no direct damage, they just stop working (flaccid paralysis)- the limbs become floppy and little muscle tone
Stage 2- return of reflexes- hyperreflexia, if you test the knee jerk reflex it will go mad. You also get spasticity where the patient experiences spontaneous muscle contraction. There is a very high muscle tone (rigid paralysis)
Where do lateral corticospinal tracts decussate
Medulla
