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Arterial vascularization of the cauda equina
The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery. American Volume
|January 1, 1981
Summary
The lumbosacral nerve roots have a dual blood supply from proximal and distal arteries that meet in the upper root. This vascular pattern may explain neuroischemia in the cauda equina during lumbar spine degeneration.
Area of Science:
- Anatomy
- Vascular Biology
- Neuroscience
Background:
- Understanding the vascular supply of the spinal nerve roots is crucial for diagnosing and treating neurological conditions.
- Previous studies have provided limited information on the specific vascularization patterns of the lumbosacral nerve roots.
Purpose of the Study:
- To elucidate the detailed vascular anatomy of the lumbosacral spinal nerve roots.
- To investigate the origin and distribution of radicular arteries supplying these roots.
Main Methods:
- Vascular injection in eleven perinatal specimens.
- Detailed anatomical dissection and observation of blood flow pathways.
Main Results:
- Each lumbosacral spinal nerve root receives intrinsic blood supply from both distal and proximal radicular arteries.
- Blood flows towards a mutual anastomosis located in the proximal one-third of the nerve root.
- Distal vessels are supplied by segmental arteries, while proximal vessels originate from anterior or dorsolateral spinal arteries, ultimately from medullary arteries.
Conclusions:
- A region of relative hypovascularity exists below the conus, formed by anastomoses in the cauda equina.
- This anatomical finding may explain neuroischemic manifestations associated with degenerative lumbar spine changes.