Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in
Book cover

Spinal Cord Tumors pp 43–53Cite as

Spinal Cord Anatomy

  • Chapter
  • First Online:

Abstract

The spinal cord begins to form in the second week of gestation, and remains suspended in the spinal canal, surrounded by a column of vertebrae. In adults, the spinal cord spans from the foramen magnum to the conus medullaris, which lies in the thoracolumbar region, while the cauda equina lies in the lumbar spine. Both the cord and cauda equina are encased within the dura mater with a layer of cerebrospinal fluid helping to keep the cord suspended. Dorsal sensory and ventral motor nerve roots, which emanate directly from the cord, combine into a single nerve that exits the spine via the neural foramen.

The interior anatomy of the spinal cord is organized to process both sensory information, as well as to effect motor responses in the trunk and extremities. The internal architecture of the spinal cord reveals a dichotomy of white and gray matter. Within the gray matter, different zones—or nuclei—mediate sensory or motor functions. White matter tracts further relay information as either ascending sensory or descending motor pathways.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.

Chapter
USD   29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD   139.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Hardcover Book
USD   179.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Learn about institutional subscriptions

References

  1. Sheerin F. Spinal cord injury: anatomy and physiology of the spinal cord. Emerg Nurse. 2004;12(8):30–6. https://doi.org/10.7748/en2004.12.12.8.30.c1178.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Wang LL, Bierbrauer KS. Congenital and hereditary diseases of the spinal cord. Semin Ultrasound CT MR. 2017;38(2):105–25. https://doi.org/10.1053/j.sult.2016.07.002.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Bui CJ, Tubbs RS, Oakes WJ. Tethered cord syndrome in children: a review. Neurosurg Focus. 2007;23(2):E2. https://doi.org/10.3171/foc.2007.23.2.2.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Patel AJ, Relyea K, Fulkerson DH. Embryology of the spine. In: Baaj AA, Mummanei PV, Uribe JS, Vaccaro AR, Greenberg MS, editors. Handbook of spine surgery. New York: Thieme; 2012. p. 3–7.

    Google Scholar 

  5. Diaz E, Morales H. Spinal cord anatomy and clinical syndromes. Semin Ultrasound CT MR. 2016;37(5):360–71. https://doi.org/10.1053/j.sult.2016.05.002.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Levy RM. Anatomic considerations for spinal cord stimulation. Neuromodulation. 2014;17(Suppl 1):2–11. https://doi.org/10.1111/ner.12175.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Gilroy AM, MacPherson BR, Ross LM, Schuenke M, Schulte E, Schumacher U. Atlas of anatomy. 3rd ed. New York: Thieme; 2016.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  8. Bartanusz V, Jezova D, Alajajian B, Digicaylioglu M. The blood-spinal cord barrier: morphology and clinical implications. Ann Neurol. 2011;70(2):194–206. https://doi.org/10.1002/ana.22421.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Rexed B. The cytoarchitectonic organization of the spinal cord in the cat. J Comp Neurol. 1952;96(3):414–95.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Baba H, Shimoji K, Yoshimura M. Norepinephrine facilitates inhibitory transmission in substantia gelatinosa of adult rat spinal cord (part 1): effects on axon terminals of GABAergic and glycinergic neurons. Anesthesiology. 2000;92(2):473–84.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Slawomirski J, Gluszak J. Structure and topography of the nucleus proprius cornus dorsalis of the spinal cord of horses. Pol Arch Weter. 1986;25(4):131–6.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Mannen T. Neuropathological findings of Onuf's nucleus and its significance. Neuropathology. 2000;20(Suppl):S30–3.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Onufrowicz B. Note on the arrangement and function of the cell group in the sacral region of the spinal cord. J Nerv Met Dis. 1899;26:498–504.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Mai JK, Paxinos G. The human nervous system. 3rd ed. Waltham, MA: Academic; 2012.

    Google Scholar 

  15. Luria V, Laufer E. Lateral motor column axons execute a ternary trajectory choice between limb and body tissues. Neural Dev. 2007;2:13. https://doi.org/10.1186/1749-8104-2-13.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  16. Kamali A, Kramer LA, Butler IJ, Hasan KM. Diffusion tensor tractography of the somatosensory system in the human brainstem: initial findings using high isotropic spatial resolution at 3.0 T. Eur Radiol. 2009;19(6):1480–8. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00330-009-1305-x.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Hong JH, Son SM, Jang SH. Identification of spinothalamic tract and its related thalamocortical fibers in human brain. Neurosci Lett. 2010;468(2):102–5. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neulet.2009.10.075.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. Siegel A, Sapru HN. Essential neuroscience. 2nd ed. Philadelphia: Lippincott, Williams, & Wilkins; 2010.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Neurosurgery, Rhode Island Hospital, The Warren Alpert Medical School at Brown University, Providence, RI, USA

    David B. Choi, Gahie Nam, Darren M. Groh, Sohail Syed, Jared S. Fridley & Ziya L. Gokaslan

Authors
  1. David B. Choi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Gahie Nam
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Darren M. Groh
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Sohail Syed
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Jared S. Fridley
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Ziya L. Gokaslan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Ziya L. Gokaslan .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Neurosurgery, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, USA

    Kenan I. Arnautović

  2. Department of Neurosurgery, Warren Alpert School of Medicine at Brown University, Rhode Island Hospital, Providence, RI, USA

    Ziya L. Gokaslan

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2019 Springer Nature Switzerland AG

About this chapter

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this chapter

Choi, D.B., Nam, G., Groh, D.M., Syed, S., Fridley, J.S., Gokaslan, Z.L. (2019). Spinal Cord Anatomy. In: Arnautović, K.I., Gokaslan, Z.L. (eds) Spinal Cord Tumors. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-99438-3_3

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-99438-3_3

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-99437-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-99438-3

  • eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation