Spinal Cord and Associated Structures

Abstract

To accommodate the natural curvature of the spine, cervical lordosis, thoracic kyphosis, and lumbosacral lordosis, the spinal cord follows similar curvatures. The three meningeal layers protect the spinal cord. They are pia, arachnoid, and dura mater. The dentate ligaments (DL) bridge the pia and dura and support the spinal cord vertically and horizontally. There are 20-22 pairs of DL. Spinal cord length is based on the lumbosacral cord because it varies depending on cord level. The lengths of sacral and coccygeal cord segments in adults fall within the range 55-63 mm. During the 9th week of gestation, the permanent spinal cord is formed with the coccygeal cord segments filling the entire coccygeal canal. Variation of the diameter of the filum terminale and the caudal end of the spinal cord was considered important for the diagnosis of tethered cord syndrome (TCS).