A Cross-Section of the Spinal Cord Taken at the C5 Level

Description

Centered in the cervical spinal cord at C5, the butterfly-shaped gray matter forms prominent anterior (ventral) horns and slimmer posterior (dorsal) horns, separated by the gray commissure around the central canal. White matter encircles this core, organized into posterior, lateral, and anterior funiculi, with the posterior median sulcus on the dorsal midline and the anterior median fissure on the ventral midline as clear orientation cues. At this level of the cervical enlargement, the anterior horns appear expanded relative to thoracic levels, reflecting the motor pools for the upper limb. Spatially, dorsal horn structures lie posterior to the central canal, while ventral horn motor neurons sit anterior and slightly lateral. C5 is a teaching workhorse because it sits where long tracts and segmental circuitry intersect in clinically predictable ways. The lateral corticospinal tract courses in the lateral funiculus, so a hemicord lesion at this level produces ipsilateral upper motor neuron signs below the lesion, while disruption of the anterolateral system yields contralateral pain and temperature loss a few segments below. Segmental involvement of the anterior horn at C5 affects deltoid and biceps motor output, a pattern seen in anterior spinal artery infarct or poliomyelitis variants. Localization becomes concrete here. Use this cross-section when you need a clean reference for neuroanatomy lab practicals, board-style lesion localization explanations, and textbook figures comparing cervical enlargement anatomy to thoracic and lumbar levels, as well as for clinical neurology materials on Brown-Sequard syndrome and central cord syndrome. It also fits well in radiology teaching that correlates cord cross-sectional anatomy with axial MRI at mid-cervical levels. Anatomical accuracy verified by SciePro's Medical Advisory Board.