SPINAL

CORD
Dr. Geetanjali Srivastava
Associate Professor
Department Of Anatomy
 Occupies the upper two thirds of the vertebral
canal.

 Rostrally -medulla oblongata from the upper

border of the posterior arch of first cervical
vertebra (C1).

 Ends caudally as tapered conus medullaris, at

the level of lower border of first lumbar vertebra
(L1).
 It gives origin to 31 pairs of spinal nerves. The
region of origin of a pair of spinal nerves is
called spinal segment.

 The spinal cord has central grey and peripheral

white matter.
 In T.S. grey matter-
irregular H-shape,
with 2 anterior
horns, 2 posterior
horns and a grey
commissure
containing a central
canal.
 In the thoracic and

upper two lumbar

segments there are
also lateral horns.
 In three-dimensional
view of grey matter
of a spinal segment,
the horns appear as
long vertical pillars
hence now a days,
they are termed
grey columns.
 In each half of the spinal cord, the white matter is
divided into anterior, lateral and posterior white
columns or funiculi.

 Each funiculus is subdivided into fasciculi or

nerve tracts.

 The individual nerve fibres carrying action

potentials to (ascending) or from (descending) the
brain are usually grouped together to form
fasciculi/tracts.
 Length-about 45 cm (18”) in adult male and
42 cm in adult female.
 Weight- 30 g.

 Its lower tapering extremity is called conus

medullaris.
 The apex of conus medullaris continues

downwards as a thin, thread-like filament

called filum terminale.
FUNCTIONS OF THE SPINAL CORD

 The execution of simple reflexes.

 The transmission of impulses to and from the

brain.
POSITIONAL CHANGES OF THE CORD
ACCORDING TO THE AGE
 Up to the 3rd month of intrauterine
development, the spinal cord extends
throughout the entire length of the vertebral
canal and the spinal nerves pass through the
intervertebral foramina at their level of origin.

 Thereafter, the vertebral column grows faster than

the spinal cord and the terminal end of the spinal
cord gradually shifts to a higher level.
 At birth -spinal cord ends at the level of
third lumbar vertebra.
 In adults- terminates at the level of lower

border of L1 (or the intervertebral disc

between the LI and L2).
 The knowledge is important to avoid injury

to the cord while performing lumbar

puncture especially in children.
SPINAL MENINGES

 The spinal cord is

surrounded by three
protective
membranes called
spinal meninges.

 From outside
inwards these are:
dura mater,
arachnoid mater,
and pia mater
DURA MATER
 The spinal dura extends from foramen
magnum to the lower border of second
sacral vertebra (S2).
 The space between spinal dura and

vertebral canal is termed epidural space.

This space contains loose areolar tissue,
semiliquid fat and internal vertebral venous
plexus.
 The space between dura and arachnoid

mater termed subdural space. It contains

capillary layer of fluid.
ARACHNOID MATER
 Arachnoid mater is a thin delicate transparent
avascular membrane which invests the spinal cord
loosely.

 Above it is continuous with the arachnoid mater of

the brain and below it extends up to the lower
border of the second sacral vertebra (S2).
PIA MATER
 Pia mater is a thin highly vascular membrane that
closely invests the spinal cord and continues below
the spinal cord as a thin thread-like prolongation, the
filum terminale.
 The subarachnoid space between the pia mater

and the arachnoid mater is filled with cerebrospinal

fluid (CSF).
 Above it is continuous with subarachnoid space

around the brain. Distal to the termination of spinal

cord, the sub-arachnoid space around the filum
terminale, becomes roomy, forming a pool of CSF
called lumbar cistern. The lumbar puncture is done
at this site to take out the CSF.
PROCESSES OF THE PIA MATER
Filum terminale:
 It is a delicate, glistening white thread-like

structure extending from tip of conus

medullaris to the first coccygeal
vertebra.
 About 20 cm long.

 The filum terminale consists of two parts:

(a) filum terminale internum, and

(b) filum terminale externum.
 The filum terminale internum- 15 cm in
length and lies within the dural sac.

 The filum terminale externum -5 cm in

length and lies outside the dural sac, i. e.
below the level of second sacral vertebra.
2 Subarachnoid septum:
 It is a mid-sagittal fenestrated pial septum

which connects the dorsal surface of the

spinal cord with the arachnoid mater.

3 Linea splendens:
 The pia gives off a septum into the anterior

median fissure. Where this process is given

off, the pia mater presents a thickening,
called linea splendens.
4 Ligamenta denticulata
These are two transparent ribbon-like
thickened bands of pia mater (one on each
side) extending laterally between posterior
and anterior nerve roots from pia mater
covering the cord.

The lateral margin of each band presents 21

tooth-like processes which pierce the
arachnoid, to be attached to the inner
surface of the dura mater between the points
of emergence of the spinal nerves .
CLINICAL CORRELATION

 The ligamenta denticulata serve as a guide

to neuro-surgeons during cordotomy
operation.

 When sensory tract requires section to

relieve pain, the knife is put in front of the
ligament, and if the section of motor tract
(viz. pyramidal tract) is desired, the knife is
placed behind the ligament.
EXTERNAL FEATURES OF THE SPINAL
CORD
The external features of the spinal cord are
1. Fissures and sulci.
2. Attachment of spinal nerves.
3. Enlargements.
4. Cauda equina.
FISSURES AND SULCI
 The anterior aspect of the spinal cord
presents anterior median fissure, and two
anterolateral sulci while the posterior aspect
presents: posteromedian sulcus, two
posterolateral and two posterointermediate
sulci.
 The anterior median fissure is deep
and extends along the entire length of
the cord. The anterior spinal artery
runs in it.
 The posterior median sulcus is a faint

longitudinal groove.
 The surface of the cord is divided into

two symmetrical halves by an anterior

median fissure and a posterior median
sulcus.
 Each half of the cord is further subdivided into
posterior, lateral and anterior regions by
anterolateral and posterolateral sulci.

 Through anterolateral sulcus emerge the ventral

root fibres and through posterolateral sulcus enter
the dorsal root fibres of the spinal nerves.
 ATTACHMENT OF SPINAL NERVES
 Thirty-one pairs of spinal nerves emerge from the
sides of the cord.
 Of these, 8-cervical, 12-thoracic, 5-lumbar, 5-sacral,

and 1-coccygeal.
 The cervical nerves leave the vertebral canal above

the corresponding vertebrae with the exception of

eighth, which emerges between seventh cervical and
first thoracic vertebrae.
 The remainder spinal nerves emerge below the
corresponding vertebrae.

 Each spinal nerve is attached to the cord by two

roots, anterior motor root and posterior sensory
root. The posterior root has a ganglion, the
posterior root ganglion consisting of
pseudounipolar cells.

 Each of the two roots is made up of number of

rootlets that arise from the spinal cord over a
certain length.
 The rootlets of posterior root enter the dorsolateral
aspect of the cord along the posterolateral sulcus
whereas the rootlets of anterior root emerge from
the anterolateral sulcus/anterolateral aspect of
cord opposite to the anterior grey column.
SPINAL SEGMENTS
 The part of spinal cord to which a pair of spinal
nerves (right and left) is attached is known as
spinal segment.
 The number of spinal segments corresponds to the

number of vertebrae in thoracic, lumbar and sacral

regions.
 In cervical region, one segment is more than the

number of vertebrae.
 In coccygeal region there is only one segment for

four coccygeal vertebrae.

 Thus, the spinal cord is made up of 31 spinal
segments: 8 cervical, 12 thoracic, 5 lumbar, 5
sacral, and 1 coccygeal.
 Since, the length of spinal cord (45 cm) is smaller

than the length of vertebral column (65 cm), the

spinal segments are, short and crowded,
especially in the lower part of the cord.
 Thus, the spinal and vertebral segments (spines)

do not lie at the same level.

 The spinal segments as a rule always lie above their
numerically corresponding vertebral spines.

 In the lower part of the spinal cord, they lie well

above their corresponding vertebrae. For example,
the lumbar segments are related to the thoracic
vertebrae.
ENLARGEMENTS
 The spinal cord is roughly cylindrical in shape with
an average diameter of about 1.25 cm.
 However, opposite to the attachments of the nerve

roots contributing to the formation of brachial and

lumbosacral plexuses, the spinal cord presents
definite fusiform swellings called cervical and
lumbar enlargements respectively.
 These enlargements are produced due to the

presence of large number of large motor neurons in

these regions to supply the musculature of the
upper and lower limbs.
CAUDA EQUINA
The nerve roots of lumbar, sacral and
coccygeal nerves from the caudal part of the
cord takes more or less a vertical course and
form a bunch of nerve fibres around the filum
terminale called cauda equina.
 The cauda equina consists of the roots of the

lower four pairs of lumbar, five pairs of sacral

and one pair of coccygeal nerves
INTERNAL STRUCTURE OF THE
SPINAL CORD
 The cross-section of
the spinal cord
shows that it
consists of an inner
core of grey matter,
and a peripheral
zone of white
matter.

Cross-section through the cervical segment of

the spinal cord showing its internal structure.
GREY MATTER
 In cross-section of cord the grey matter is seen as
H-shaped (or butterfly-shaped) fluted column,
extending throughout the length of the spinal cord.

 It is divided into symmetrical right and left comma-

shaped masses which are connected across the
midline by a transverse grey commissure.
 In the thoracic region and upper two lumbar

segments , a triangular projection juts out from the

side of lateral grey mass between the anterior and
posterior horns, nearly opposite to the grey
commissure. It is called lateral horn.
The posterior horns
are connected to the
surface by a
gelatinous substance
called substantia
gelatinosa.
 The amount of grey

matter and shapes of

its horns, and amount
of white matter varies
at different levels.
STRUCTURE OF THE GREY MATTER
 Like in other regions of the CNS, the grey
matter of spinal cord consists of (a) nerve
cells, (b) neuroglia,and (c) blood vessels.
NERVE CELL GROUPS IN THE GREY
COLUMNS OF THE SPINAL CORD
 Cell groups in the anterior grey column They
are divided into three main groups or nuclei: (a)
medial, (b) lateral, and (c) central.
 Medial group innervate the axial musculature of the

neck and trunk.

 Lateral group supply the limb muscles.

 Central group forms three definite nuclei:

-Phrenic nucleus: innervating the diaphragm.

- Lumbosacral nucleus
- Spinal nucleus of accessory
CELL GROUPS IN THE POSTERIOR
GREY COLUMN
 In the posterior grey column, the cell groups are
arranged into four longitudinal columns; from the apex
towards the base, they are: (a) substantia gelatinosa
(of Rolandi), (b) nucleus proprius, (c) nucleus dorsalis
(or Clarke's column), and (d) visceral afferent nucleus.
CELL GROUPS IN THE INTERMEDIATE
(LATERAL) GREY COLUMN
 The cells of the lateral grey column form two
nuclei: (a) intermediolateral, and (b)
intermediomedial.
LAMINAR ARCHITECTURE OF GREY
MATTER (REXED LAMINAE)
 The cytoarchitecture of grey matter of spinal
cord is alternatively divided into 10 zones or
laminae by Rexed .
 These are numbered consecutively by Roman

numerals, starting at the tip of the posterior

horn and moving ventrally into the anterior
horn.
WHITE MATTER
 The white matter of the
spinal cord surrounds the
central ‘H-shaped mass of
grey matter, and mainly
consists of nerve fibres,
the large proportion of
them being myelinated,
give it a white
appearance’.
DIVISIONS OF WHITE MATTER
 Ineach half of the spinal cord, the white
matter is divided into three parts called
white columns or funiculi:
 Posterior white column, between the

posterior median septum, and the posterior

horn.
 Lateral white column, between the anterior

and posterior horns.

 Anterior white column, between the anterior

median fissure and the anterior horn.

 The anterior white columns are joined
together by the white commissure.
 Each white column is made up of tracts

which are either ascending (sensory),

descending (motor) or intersegmental
(association).
posterior white column- sensory
anterior column - motor and lateral column is
mixed (i.e. motor as well as sensory).
Ascending tracts- periphery.
Descending tracts - centre.
BLOOD SUPPLY OF THE SPINAL
CORD ARTERIAL SUPPLY
 VENOUS DRAINAGE
 The veins draining the cord form six longitudinal
venous channels around the cord, viz.
 Two median longitudinal, one in the anterior median

fissure and the other in the posteromedian sulcus.

 Two anterolateral, one on either side, posterior to the

anterior nerve roots.

 Two posterolateral, one on either side posterior to

the posterior nerve roots.

APPLIED:
Syringomyelia
 In this condition, a fluid cavity (or cavities)

develops near the centre of the spinal cord

usually in the cervical segments. This leads
to the destruction of the cord involving
central canal and its surrounding area.
 HEMISECTION OF THE SPINAL CORD
(BROWN-SEQUARD SYNDROME)
 Ipsilateral upper motor neuron type of (spastic)
paralysis below the level of hemisection (due to
involvement of pyramidal tract).
 Ipsilateral loss of proprioceptive sensations (sense of

position, posture, passive movement and vibrations)

and fine touch/discrimination (due to involvement of
posterior columns).
 Contralateral loss of pain and temperature sensations

below the level of lesion (due to involvement of

spinothalamic tract).
Touch is not completely lost because tactile
impulses ascend on both sides of the cord.
 TABES DORSALIS

 It is a syphilitic degenerative lesion of the posterior

white columns and posterior nerve roots.
Thank You