Spinal cord & meninges Flashcards
The spinal cord contains what 4 things?
Vertebrae
Ligaments
Meninges
CSF
Spinal cord is part of CNS or PNS?
CNS
Where do the efferent and afferent neurons go?
Efferent - motor neurons to muscles
Afferent - sensory neurons via dorsal root ganglia
List the spinal nerves
8 cervical pairs
12 thoracic pairs
5 lumbar pairs
5 sacral pairs
1 coccygeal pair
Where does the spinal cord terminate in adults and newborns?
L 1/2 in adults
L 2/3 in newborns
Where is there spinal cord enlargement?
Cervical and lumbar region
___ is the end of the spinal cord where it swells and goes to a point
Conus medullaris
What is filum terminal?
Pia matter continues from the end of the spinal cord to coccygeal ligament
What are the “horse tails”?
Cauda equina
- Has both dorsal and ventral nerve roots
Grey and white matter are primarily made of
grey matter - neural cell bodies
white matter - axons/neuronal tracts
What types of neurons doe the dorsal, ventral, and lateral horn contain?
Dorsal - sensory neurons
Ventral - motor neurons
Lateral - preganglionic autonomic neurons
Roots combine to form
spinal nerve
What is the first order neurons?
dorsal root ganglion
What is second order neurons?
skin receptors/proprioceptors to CNS
The spinal nerve bifurcates into
Ventral and dorsal primary ramus
Dermatomes travel on
spinal nerves
What are the 3 protective layers?
Dura mater
Arachnoid mater
Pia mater
Where does the dura mater extend from?
Foramen magnum to S2
Continues w/ other meninges as coccygeal ligament (continuous even after spinal cord ends)
Where is the arachnoid mater?
- Attached to inner surface of dura mater
- Connected to pia mater below via trabeculae
- middle
Where is the pia mater? What does it attach to?
- Innermost layer
- Attached to spinal cord and nerve roots
- attached to dura via denticulate ligaments
- continues as filum terminale to coccyx
___ is the space between dura mater and vertebral canal. What’s it filled with?
Epidural space
fat and venous drainage
What is the potential space? Where is it?
Subdural space
between arachnoid mater and dura mater
Space between pia mater and arachnoid mater? What’s it filled with?
Subarachnoid space
Filled w/ CSF and vessels
What are the types of spinal arteries that give rise to a single spinal artery?
Dorsal spinal artery (posterior) (2)
Ventral spinal artery (anterior) (1)
What are the spinal venous plexus? Where are they located?
2 external vertebral venous plexus
1 internal vertebral venous plexus
Within epidural space
The dorsal spinal arteries and ventral spinal artery bifurcates into ___ which comes together to make ___
Dorsal and ventral radicular artery
spinal artery
What happens in a spinal injury?
Disc in spinal column distends in unwanted area
Describe meningitis
Inflammation of the meninges and/or CSF of the brain and/or spinal cord
Caused by bacteria, and sometimes viral
Types of spina bifida and describe them
Occulta
- Most of spinal column develops but doesn’t fuse
Meningocele
- meninges closer doesn’t happen, it extends out as a fluid filled sack
Myelomeningocele
- most severe
- Spinal cord extends out in meninges
Taking ___ in prenatal vitamins is important to reduce spina bifida instances
Folic acid
Describe subdural hematoma and epidural hematoma
Subdural hematoma
- Vessel breaks deep to dura matter (stroke)
Epidural hematoma
- occurs w/ fracture of skull
- blood’s superficial to dura matter
