In human anatomy, the spinal canal, vertebral canal or spinal cavity is an elongated body cavity enclosed within the dorsal bony arches of the vertebral column, which contains the spinal cord, spinal roots and dorsal root ganglia. It is a process of the dorsal body cavity formed by alignment of the vertebral foramina. Under the vertebral arches, the spinal canal is also covered anteriorly by the posterior longitudinal ligament and posteriorly by the ligamentum flavum. The potential space between these ligaments and the dura mater covering the spinal cord is known as the epidural space. Spinal nerves exit the spinal canal via the intervertebral foramina under the corresponding vertebral pedicles.

In humans, the spinal cord gets outgrown by the vertebral column during development into adulthood, and the lower section of the spinal canal is occupied by the filum terminale and a bundle of spinal nerves known as the cauda equina instead of the actual spinal cord, which finishes at the L1/L2 level.

The vertebral canal is enclosed anteriorly by the vertebral bodies, intervertebral discs, and the posterior longitudinal ligament; it is enclosed posteriorly by the vertebral laminae and the ligamenta flava; laterally, it is incompletely enclosed by the pedicles with the interval between two adjacent pedicles on either side creating an intervertebral foramen (allowing the passage of the spinal nerves and radicular blood vessels).[1]

The vertebral canal progressively narrows inferiorly.[1] It is wider in the cervical region to accommodate the cervical enlargement of the spinal cord.[2][3]

The outermost layer of the meninges, the dura mater, is closely associated with the arachnoid mater which in turn is loosely connected to the innermost layer, the pia mater. The meninges divide the spinal canal into the epidural space and the subarachnoid space. The pia mater is closely attached to the spinal cord. A subdural space is generally only present due to trauma and/or pathological situations. The subarachnoid space is filled with cerebrospinal fluid and contains the vessels that supply the spinal cord, namely the anterior spinal artery and the paired posterior spinal arteries, accompanied by corresponding spinal veins. The anterior and posterior spinal arteries form anastomoses known as the vasocorona of the spinal cord and these supply nutrients to the canal. The epidural space contains loose fatty tissue, and a network of large, thin-walled blood vessels called the internal vertebral venous plexuses.[citation needed]

Spinal stenosis is a narrowing of the canal which can occur in any region of the spine and can be caused by a number of factors. It may result in cervical myelopathy[4] if the narrowed canal impinges on the spinal cord itself.

Spinal canal endoscopy can be used to investigate the epidural space, and is an important spinal diagnostic technique.[5][6]

The spinal canal was first described by Jean Fernel.[citation needed]

More:
Spinal canal - Wikipedia

Overview

Spinal stenosis happens when the space inside the backbone is too small. This can put pressure on the spinal cord and nerves that travel through the spine. Spinal stenosis happens most often in the lower back and the neck.

Some people with spinal stenosis have no symptoms. Others may experience pain, tingling, numbness and muscle weakness. Symptoms can get worse over time.

The most common cause of spinal stenosis is wear-and-tear damage in the spine related to arthritis. People who have serious spinal stenosis may need surgery.

Surgery can create more space inside the spine. This can ease the symptoms caused by pressure on the spinal cord or nerves. But surgery can't cure arthritis, so arthritis pain in the spine may continue.

Spinal stenosis often causes no symptoms. When symptoms do happen, they start slowly and get worse over time. Symptoms depend on which part of the spine is affected.

Spinal stenosis in the lower back can cause pain or cramping in one or both legs. This happens when you stand for a long time or when you walk. Symptoms get better when you bend forward or sit. Some people also have back pain.

Spinal stenosis in the neck can cause:

There is a problem with information submitted for this request. Review/update the information highlighted below and resubmit the form.

Sign up for free and stay up to date on research advancements, health tips, current health topics, and expertise on managing health. Click here for an email preview.

We use the data you provide to deliver you the content you requested. To provide you with the most relevant and helpful information, we may combine your email and website data with other information we have about you. If you are a Mayo Clinic patient, we will only use your protected health information as outlined in our Notice of Privacy Practices. You may opt out of email communications at any time by clicking on the unsubscribe link in the email.

Subscribe!

You'll soon start receiving the latest Mayo Clinic health information you requested in your inbox.

Please, try again in a couple of minutes

Retry

Close

As the spine ages, bone spurs or herniated disks are more likely to happen. These problems can shrink the amount of space available for the spinal cord and the nerves that branch off of it.

Spinal bones are stacked in a column from the skull to the tailbone. They protect the spinal cord, which runs through an opening called the spinal canal.

Some people are born with a small spinal canal. But most spinal stenosis occurs when something happens to reduce the amount of open space within the spine. Causes of spinal stenosis include:

Most people with spinal stenosis are over age 50. Younger people may be at higher risk of spinal stenosis if they have scoliosis or other spinal problems.

View post:
Spinal stenosis - Symptoms and causes - Mayo Clinic

The spinal cord is a long, fragile tubelike structure that begins at the end of the brain stem and continues down almost to the bottom of the spine. The spinal cord consists of bundles of nerve axons forming pathways that carry incoming and outgoing messages between the brain and the rest of the body. The spinal cord contains nerve cell circuits that control coordinated movements such as walking and swimming, as well as urinating. It is also the center for reflexes, such as the knee jerk reflex (see figure Reflex Arc: A No-Brainer).

Like the brain, the spinal cord is covered by 3 layers of tissue (meninges). The spinal cord and meninges are contained in the spinal canal, which runs through the center of the spine. In most adults, the spine is composed of 33 individual back bones (vertebrae). Just as the skull protects the brain, vertebrae protect the spinal cord. The vertebrae are separated by disks made of cartilage, which act as cushions, reducing the forces on the spine generated by movements such as walking and jumping. The vertebrae and disks of cartilage extend the length of the spine and together form the vertebral (spinal) column.

How the Spine Is Organized

Like the brain, the spinal cord consists of gray and white matter.

The gray matter forms a butterfly-shaped center in the cord. The front wings (called anterior or ventral horns) contain motor nerve cells (neurons) which transmit information from the brain or spinal cord to muscles, stimulating movement. The back part of the butterfly wing (called posterior or dorsal horns) contains sensory nerve cells, which transmit sensory information from other parts of the body through the spinal cord to the brain.

The surrounding white matter contains columns of nerve fibers (axon bundles) that carry sensory information to the brain from the rest of the body (ascending tracts) and columns that carry motor impulses from the brain to the muscles (descending tracts).

Here is the original post:
Spinal Cord - Brain, Spinal Cord, and Nerve Disorders - MSD ...

Paralysis Ends Now: Revolutionary Cell Therapy That Repairs Severed Spinal Cords Enters Trials and Begins Restoring Human Mobility  Rude Baguette

Read the original post:
Paralysis Ends Now: Revolutionary Cell Therapy That Repairs Severed Spinal Cords Enters Trials and Begins Restoring Human Mobility - Rude Baguette

In this section, we will cover the anatomical structure of the spinal cord and vertebral column, spinal nerve organisation, blood supply, motor and sensory pathways, clinical examination principles, myotomes and dermatomes, localisation of spinal cord lesions, and common spinal cord syndromes.

The spinal column encases and protects the spinal cord, which serves as a conduit for motor, sensory, and autonomic signals between the brain and the body.

Clinical examination of spinal cord function involves assessing motor, sensory, and autonomic pathways.

Discrepancy exists between spinal segments and vertebral levels:

Afferent (or sensory) input to the nervous system arrives in the spinal cord via the dorsal root.

Efferents (or motor output) exit via the ventral root.

Descending tracts:

Ascending tracts:

Blood supply

A myotome refers to all the muscles or groups of muscles innervated by the motor horn cells within a segment of the cord.

Localising spinal cord lesions

During and after your examination you should seek answers to the following questions.

Small central lesion:

Large central cord lesion:

Brown-Squard syndrome (hemisection):

Complete transection:

Combined degeneration of the cord:

Tabes dorsalis:

Anterior spinal artery syndrome:

Posterior spinal artery syndrome:

Further reading

Publications

Robert Coni, DO, EdS, FAAN.Vascular neurologist and neurohospitalist and Neurology Subspecialty Coordinator at the Grand Strand Medical Center in South Carolina. Former neuroscience curriculum coordinator at St. Lukes / Temple Medical School and fellow of the American Academy of Neurology. Inmy spare time, I like to play guitar and go fly fishing. | Medmastery | Linkedin |

View original post here:
Neuro 101: Spinal Cord LITFL Neurology library

Several factors can contribute to the narrowing of the spinal canal, leading to spinal stenosis. Normally, the vertebral canal provides enough room for the spinal cord, cauda equina, and the exiting nerves. However, aging and age-related changes in the spine, injury, other diseases, or inherited conditions can cause narrowing of the spaces.

Aging and age-related changes in the spine happen over a period of time and slowly cause loss of the normal structure of the spine. They are the most common causes of spinal stenosis. As people age, the ligaments that keep the vertebrae of the spine in place may thicken and calcify (harden from deposits of calcium salts). Bones and joints may also enlarge. When surfaces of the bone begin to project out from the body, these projections are called osteophytes (bone spurs). For example:

Arthritis is also a common cause of spinal stenosis. Two forms of arthritis that may affect the spine are osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.

The following conditions also may cause spinal stenosis:

Some people are born with a condition that can cause spinal stenosis. These conditions cause the spinal canal to narrow, leading to spinal stenosis. For example:

Go here to read the rest:
Spinal Stenosis Symptoms, Causes, & Risk Factors | NIAMS

Research Progress on the Mechanisms of Endogenous Neural Stem Cell Differentiation in Spinal Cord Injury Repair  Frontiers

Read this article:
Research Progress on the Mechanisms of Endogenous Neural Stem Cell Differentiation in Spinal Cord Injury Repair - Frontiers

VEGF secreted by human dental pulp stem cell promotes spinal cord injury repair by inhibiting microglial pyroptosis through the PI3K/AKT pathway  Journal of Translational Medicine

Original post:
VEGF secreted by human dental pulp stem cell promotes spinal cord injury repair by inhibiting microglial pyroptosis through the PI3K/AKT pathway -...

Groundbreaking discovery could revolutionise treatment of debilitating diseases  Yahoo

See the original post here:
Groundbreaking discovery could revolutionise treatment of debilitating diseases - Yahoo

Paralyzed Man Stands Thanks to iPS Cells  The Tartan

See the original post here:
Paralyzed Man Stands Thanks to iPS Cells - The Tartan

Paralysed man can stand again with breakthrough stem cell therapy in Japan  India Today

Go here to see the original:
Paralysed man can stand again with breakthrough stem cell therapy in Japan - India Today

Treating spinal cord injuries with stem cells  Labiotech.eu

Read more from the original source:
Treating spinal cord injuries with stem cells - Labiotech.eu

Breakthrough as paralyzed man walks again after single injection of new treatment  Daily Mail

Read more:
Breakthrough as paralyzed man walks again after single injection of new treatment - Daily Mail

Paralyzed man walks again after single injection of new treatment  MSN

Link:
Paralyzed man walks again after single injection of new treatment - MSN

Keio University team says stem cell treatment helped improve spine injuries  The Japan Times

View post:
Keio University team says stem cell treatment helped improve spine injuries - The Japan Times

Japan team says stem cell treatment helped improve spinal cord injuries | NHK WORLD-JAPAN News  NHK WORLD

Read more:
Japan team says stem cell treatment helped improve spinal cord injuries | NHK WORLD-JAPAN News - NHK WORLD

Exploring the Regenerative Mechanisms Behind Spinal Cord Injury Repair  Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News

Read more:
Exploring the Regenerative Mechanisms Behind Spinal Cord Injury Repair - Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News

Electrically Active Transplantable Material Could Treat Brain and Spinal Cord Injuries  HospiMedica

Read more:
Electrically Active Transplantable Material Could Treat Brain and Spinal Cord Injuries - HospiMedica

Unlocking Spinal Cord Regeneration: Astrocytes Lead the Way  Neuroscience News

Original post:
Unlocking Spinal Cord Regeneration: Astrocytes Lead the Way - Neuroscience News

Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells modulate miR-202-3p to suppress neuronal apoptosis following spinal cord injury through autophagy activation via the AMPK, MAPK, and PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway  Nature.com

Read more here:
Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells modulate miR-202-3p to suppress neuronal apoptosis following spinal cord injury through autophagy activation via...