MEDULLA SPINALIS

Muh.Iqbal Basri
Department of Anatomy
Hasanuddin University

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 Medulla spinalis
Position
■ Lies in vertebral canal
■ Continuous above with medulla
oblongata at level of foramen
magnum
■ Ends below at lower border of
L1 in adult; at birth at level of
L3
■ Ascensus medulla

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 External features
■ A long cylindrical structure and
slightly flattened anteroposteriorly,
■ Conus medullaris
■ Filum terminale
■ Cauda equina
■ Two enlargements
(intumescentia)
Cervical enlargement :
corresponds to the C4 to the T1
segments
Lumbosacral enlargement :
corresponds to the L2 to the S3
segments

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Fissure and sulci
■ Fissura mediana anterior
■ Sulcus mediana posterior
■ Sulcus anterolateral－anterior (motor) roots emerge serially
■ Sulcus posterolateral－posterior (sensory) roots enter spinal cord,
each bear a spinal ganglion which constitutes the first cell-station of
the sensory nerves

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Relationship of segments
of spinal cord to vertebrae
■ A portion of the cord that gives
rise to a pair of spinal nerve
constitutes a segment.
■ There are 31 segments
8 cervical
12 thoracic
5 lumbar
5 sacral
1 coccygeal

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Relationship of segments of spinal cord to vertebrae

Spinal segments Vertebral levels (spines)

Upper cervical region (C1~C4) = C1 ~ C4

Lower cervical and upper thoracic — 1 = C4 ~ T3

region (C5~T4)
Middle thoracic region (T5~T8) — 2 = T3 ~ T6

Lower thoracic region (T9~T12) — 3 = T6 ~ T9

Lumber segments = T10 ~ T12

Sacral and coccygeal segments = L1

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 Internal structures
■ Central canal
■ Substansia grisea
❑ Cornu anterior (column)
❑ Cornu posterior (column)
❑ Intermediate zone
■ Cornu lateral(column)
❑ Commisura grisea anterior
❑ Commisura grisea posterior
■ White matter
❑ Funiculus anterior
❑ Funiculus lateralis
❑ Funiculus posterior
❑ Commisura alba anterior

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White matter
White matter contains three kinds of fibers:
ascending, descending, and fasciculus proprius

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 Ascending tracts

Fasciculus cuneatus
Fasciculus gracilis
Posterior spinocerebellar tract

Anterior spinocerebellar tract

Spinothalamic tract

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Ascending tracts
Tract Site of origin Funiculus Termination Function
Fasciculus Spinal ganglia Posterior Gracile Convey
gracilis below segment nucleus proprioceptive
T5 and fine touch
Fasciculus Spinal ganglia Cuneate sensation of
cuneatus above segment nucleus trunk and limbs
T4
Posterior Homolateral Lateral Cerebellum Unconscious
spinocerebellar nucleus proprioception
thoracicus from lower limb
Anterior Contralateral and lower
spinocerebellar Laminae portion of trunk
Ⅴ~Ⅶ
Spinothalamic Laminae Ⅰ, Lateral Dorsal Pain,
Ⅳ~Ⅶ and thalamus temperature and
anterior simple touch
sensation of
trunk and limbs
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Descending tracts

Fasciculus proprius

Lateral corticospinal tract

Rubrospinal tract

Reticulospinal tract

Vestibulospinal tract

Tectospinal tract Medial longitudinal fasciculus

Anterior corticospinal tract

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 Descending tracts
Tract Site of origin Funiculus Termination Function
Lateral Cerebral cortex Lateral Laminae Voluntary movement
corticospinal Ⅳ~Ⅸ
Anterior Cerebral cortex Anterior anterior
corticospinal horn

Rubrospinal Red nucleus Lateral Laminae Excitatory of flexors

Ⅶ~Ⅶ
Vestibulospinal Homolateral Anterior Laminae Excitatory of extensors
vestibular Ⅶ~Ⅷ
nuclei
Reticulospinal Reticular Anterior Laminae Voluntary movement
formation and lateral Ⅶ~Ⅷ

Medial Vestibular Anterior Laminae Coordinate neck with eye

longitudinal nuclei Ⅶ~Ⅷ movement
fasciculus
Tectospinal Superior Anterior Laminae
colliculus Ⅵ~Ⅷ
Fasciculus Spinal cord Anterior, Spinal cord Intrinsic reflex
proprius lateral and mechanism of spinal cord
posterior
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❑ TRACTUS/FASCICULUS
1. Tractus Spinothalamicus Anterior (touch + press)
2. Tractus Spinothalamicus Lateralis (pain + thermal)
3. Tractus Spinocerebellaris Ant/Ventral (muscle
tones+ tendo)
4. Tractus Spinocerebellaris Post/Dorsal (muscle
tones+ tendo)
5. Tractus Corticospinalis Ant/Lat (motoric)
6. Fasciculus Cuneatus
(position, movement,
7. Fasciculus Gracilis discrimination,vibration)

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