Spinal Cord Anatomy
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Spinal Cord Blood Supply - Longitudinal View
The major arterial blood supply to the spinal cord is the ventral spinal artery. The artery is actually created by the sequence of cranial and caudal branches of radicular arteries that enter along ventral roots.
As illustrated, only several of the radicular arteries contribute significantly to the spinal cord, a number radicular vessels are barely sufficient to supply their spinal roots. Radicular arteries are branches of spinal arteries which, in turn, are branches of regional arteries (vertebral, costocervical, intercostal, and lumbar).
Cranially, the ventral spinal artery is continued as the basilar artery of the brainstem. Both are fed by termination of the vertebral artery.
Click to return to the transverse view.
As illustrated, only several of the radicular arteries contribute significantly to the spinal cord, a number radicular vessels are barely sufficient to supply their spinal roots. Radicular arteries are branches of spinal arteries which, in turn, are branches of regional arteries (vertebral, costocervical, intercostal, and lumbar).
Cranially, the ventral spinal artery is continued as the basilar artery of the brainstem. Both are fed by termination of the vertebral artery.
Click to return to the transverse view.
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