Spinal cord organization: an introduction

Abstract

Although the anatomical organization of the spinal cord has been studied since the early days of light microscopy, it was as recently as 1952 that the first comprehensive and systematic account of the histology of the grey matter was provided, and then only for the cytoarchitectonic organization (Rexed 1952). Previous to that date the literature is difficult to interpret due to the use of imprecise terms such as ‘head of the dorsal horn’, ‘nucleus proprius’, ‘intermediate grey nucleus’, and so on, and the difficulties are compounded by different authors using the same term for different parts. In spite of some excellent descriptions of parts of the cord in different vertebrates (for example, Clarke 1851, 1859; Ramon y Cajal 1909), there was no account, consistent within itself, of the structure of the cord through all its segmental levels. The scheme of Rexed (1952, 1954) is such an account and it provides a means whereby neuroscientists may communicate their results and ideas on spinal cord structure and function.