Spinal Cord Anatomy and Clinical Syndromes

Publication date: Available online 6 May 2016 Source:Seminars in Ultrasound, CT and MRI Author(s): E. Diaz, H. Morales We review the anatomy of the spinal cord, providing correlation with key functional and clinically relevant neural pathways, as well as MR imaging. Peripherally, the main descending (corticospinal tract) and ascending (gracilis / cuneatus fasciculi and spinothalamic tracts) pathways compose the white matter. Centrally, the gray matter can be divided into multiple laminae. Whereas laminae 1 to 5 carry sensitive-neuron information in the posterior horn, lamina 9 carries the majority of lower motor-neuron information in the anterior horn. Damage to the unilateral corticospinal tract (upper motor neuron information) or gracillis-cuneatus fasciculi (touch and vibration) correlates with ipsilateral clinical findings, whereas damage to unilateral spinothalamic tracts (pain-temperature) correlates with contralateral clinical findings. Damage to commissural fibers correlates with a suspended bilateral “girdle” sensory level. Autonomic dysfunction is expected when there is bilateral cord involvement, mainly at thoraco-lumbar levels.
Source: Seminars in Ultrasound, CT and MRI - Category: Radiology Source Type: research