Anatomy of spinal cord

Chapter 13: Spinal Cord and A. Protection

1. Vertebral Column
Spinal Nerves 2. Meninges
a. Dura mater
b. Arachnoid
Describe the gross anatomy of the spinal cord
c. Pia mater
and its protection.
3. Cerebrospinal fluid
in intermeningeal spaces
(mainly Subarachnoid)
and central canal

B. Anatomy of cord
1. cervical
enlargement
2. lumbar enlargement
3. Conus medullaris
4 Cauda equina
a. Spinal tap
(lumbar or foramen
magna puncture) of 5. Dorsal root ganglion
subarachnoid space 6. Internal cord
a. Anterior median fissure and posterior
median sulcus
b. gray horns (a&p)
i. commissure

c. Central canal
d. Roots (dorsal and ventral)
i. Sensory with ganglion (dorsal)
ii. Motor (ventral)
e. White columns (motor and sensory tracts)
i. Laterals
ii. Anterior
iii. Posterior
iv. Commissures

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 Describe spinal nerves and their CT coverings.
II. Spinal Nerves
A. Mixed nerve
C. CT
B. Intervertebral foramen coverings
1.Endoneurium
2. Fasicles and
perineurium
3. Epineurium

D. Distribution What are cervical, brachial, lumbar and

1. Rami sacral plexuses and what major
a. Posterior b. Anterior
peripheral nerves arise from each?

2. Plexuses
a. All spinal nerves (except thoracic) form
pexuses which are networks joining
various axons of anterior rami
i. T1-T12 form individual Intercostal nerves

i. Cervical (C1-C5)
Branched of Cervical Plexus
Sensory to head and neck
Motor to neck muscles
Major Branch:
Phrenic: motor to diaphragm

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ii. Brachial (C5-T1) Brachial Plexus
Motor to chest, back and arms
Sensory to same areas
Major Branches: (all motor and
sensory)
Median: flexors of forearm,
sensory to lateral palm and
arm
Radial: extensors of forearm,
sensory to lateral dorsal hand
Ulna: Flexors of hand,
sensory to medial hand

iii. Lumbar plexus (L1-L5) Lumbar plexus

Motor to abdominal and thigh
muscles,
Sensory to anterior leg and lower
abdomen and genitals
Major Branches
Femoral : motor and sensory to
thigh
Obturator: motor to adductors,
sensory to thigh

iv. Sacral (and Coccygeal) Plexus (L4-S5) iv. Sacral (and Coccygeal) (L4-S5)

Motor to gluteals, upper and lower leg muscles.

Sensory to buttocks, posteriot leg and genitals
Major Branches:
Sciatic is really two nerves in a common
epineurium: Tibial N. and Common Fibular N.
Both supply lower leg muscles and skin

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 What is a dermatome?
Distribution of
nerves from lumbar
and sacral plexus E. Dermatomes
1. Somatic
sensory and motor
areas

Not as defined as shown,

much over lap

III. Spinal Cord Physiology

Describe the various reflex arcs and

relation to sensory and motor tracts F A. Tracts
1. Naming
2. Motor
Direct (voluntary)
Indirect (involuntary)
3. Sensory

B Reflex arcs- Describe the various

A spinal tract connects reflex arcs and relation to sensory and
motor tracts.
A. Brain to peripheral receptors and motor neurons
B. Contains lower motor neurons 1. Basic Components
C. Connects inferior and superior spinal nerves a. sensory receptor
D. All of the above b. sensory neuron
c. integration center (many
E. Only A and C varieties) with synapses to other
neurons
d. motor neuron
e. effector

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 Basic Reflex Arc
2. Stretch reflex
(example: patellar
tendon tap)
maintains muscle
tone (tension)

a. Excitatory to
muscles group
b. Inhibitory to
antagonistic group
c. Ipsilateral

3. Tendon reflex
maintains muscle 4. Flexor
length (prevents (withdrawal from
over extension and noxious stimuli)
tearing of muscle reflex
fibers)
a. Inhibitory to
muscles group a. Excitatory to
withdrawal
b. Excitatory to
antagonistic group
muscle group
c. Ipsilateral b. intersegmental
and ipsilateral

5. Crossed
Extensor Reflex A somatic, spinal reflex
(usually goes
along with A. Has no neural connection to the brain
flexor reflex)
B. Can only stimulate effectors ipsilateral to
a. Contralateral its receptors
response C. Can only stimulate, not inhibit
b. Excitatory D. Is important to proper motor control of
left vs. right smooth muscle
E. None of these are true

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 In the tendon reflex, when the flexor
A contralateral reflex is tendon organ of the posterior thigh
muscles is stimulated
A. Stretch reflex
B. Crossed extensor reflex A. Anterior thigh muscle motor nerves are
inhibited
C. Tendon reflex
B. Posterior thigh muscle motor nerves are
D. Flexor reflex inhibited
E. All of these are contralateral C. Posterior thigh muscles are stimulated
D. A and C
E. Impossible to tell without more information

Describe the pathologies involving the

spinal cord
IV. Pathology

A. Spinal cord transections

B. Poliomyelitis
C. Shingles (Herpes zoster and chicken
pox)