11 - Applied Anatomy of the Spinal Cord

Abstract

The spinal column encloses the spinal cord and is composed of 33 vertebrae divided into the cervical, thoracic, lumbar, sacral, and coccygeal segments. The spinal cord originates from the medulla oblongata in the brain stem and terminates in a cone shape, the conus medullaris. While the spinal cord ends at the higher lumbar regions, it is anchored to the coccyx through a nonneural filament: the filum terminale. Spinal cord function is a vital part of the central nervous system. Understanding the functional anatomy of the spinal cord is essential in localizing diseases of the nervous system and in understanding the practical impact of spinal cord disorders. The function of the spinal cord can be understood through the study of its major structural components, which include the ascending and descending white matter tracts and the gray matter zones. These elements of the spinal cord work together to relay motor and sensory information between the periphery and the brain, as well as to integrate local circuits that subserve breathing, bladder, sexual function, and autonomic control of essential visceral organs, including the cardiovascular system. This chapter will provide a systematic review of the critical functional anatomy of the spinal cord to enable a greater understanding of the role that this crucial part of the central nervous system plays in health and disease.