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Lumbosacral intrathecal nerve roots: an anatomical study
Mehmet Arslan1, Ayhan Cömert, Halil İbrahim Açar
1Department of Neurosurgery, Yuzuncu Yil University, Faculty of Medicine, Van, Turkey.
Acta Neurochirurgica
|March 31, 2011
Summary
This study details the complex lumbosacral intrathecal anatomy, providing crucial measurements of nerve roots and rootlets. Findings aid surgeons in understanding and managing lesions affecting the cauda equina.
Area of Science:
- Anatomy
- Neurosurgery
- Spinal Surgery
Background:
- The lumbosacral intrathecal space contains dense nerve roots of the cauda equina.
- Space-occupying lesions can compromise these nerve roots, leading to severe clinical syndromes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To provide detailed anatomical descriptions of intrathecal nerve roots.
- To emphasize the clinical importance of this anatomy for spinal surgeons.
Main Methods:
- Dissection of ten formalin-fixed male cadavers using a surgical microscope.
- Performance of detailed anatomical measurements.
Main Results:
- Nerve root diameters increase from L1 to S1 and decrease from S1 to S5, with S1 being largest and S5 smallest.
- Rootlet numbers per nerve root increase from L1 to S1, peaking at S1, then decreasing towards S5.
- Nerve root origins gradually ascend from L1 to L5, with specific measurements relative to the superior articular process.
Conclusions:
- The anatomical data enhances understanding of lesions compressing intradural nerve roots.
- Findings are valuable for planning and executing intradural spinal procedures.
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