RT Book, Section
A1 Berkowitz, Aaron L.
SR Print(0)
ID 1192637613
T1 The Spinal Cord and Approach to Myelopathy
T2 Clinical Neurology and Neuroanatomy: A Localization-Based Approach
YR 2016
FD 2016
PB McGraw-Hill Education
PP New York, NY
SN 9781259834400
LK accessmedicine.mhmedical.com/content.aspx?aid=1192637613
RD 2024/04/18
AB The  spinal  cord  begins  where  the  medulla  ends,  running  from  the  foramen  magnum  at  the  base  of  the  skull  to  about  the  level  of  the  first  lumbar  vertebra  (L1)  (Fig.  5–1).  The  spinal  cord  is  divided  into  cervical,  thoracic,  lumbar,  and  sacral  regions.  The  cervical  and  thoracic  regions  of  the  spinal  cord  correspond  to  the  cervical  and  thoracic  regions  of  the  spinal  column.  However,  the  spinal  cord  is  shorter  than  the  spinal  column,  and  so  the  lumbar  region  of  the  spinal  cord  actually  corresponds  to  the  lower  thoracic  spine,  and  the  sacral  region  of  the  cord  is  housed  in  a  short  region  called  the  conus  medullaris  at  about  the  level  of  the  L1-L2  vertebrae.  Throughout  the  spine,  dorsal  roots  enter  and  ventral  roots  exit  through  the  neural  foramina  of  the  vertebrae  that  correspond  to  their  spinal  cord  level  of  origin/exit.  At  cervical  and  thoracic  levels,  the  corresponding  foramina  are  essentially  adjacent  to  the  spinal  cord  levels  with  which  they  are  associated.  Since  the  spinal  cord  ends  at  L1,  below  L1,  the  lumbosacral  nerve  roots  (cauda  equina)  must  descend  to  reach  their  corresponding  exiting  foramina  (discussed  further  in  Chapters  15  and  17).