Section of the Spinal Cord with the Arteries Visible

Description

Centered in the field is a transverse section of the spinal cord with the gray matter forming the classic butterfly, including anterior (ventral) horns and posterior (dorsal) horns around the central canal, and white matter arranged into anterior, lateral, and posterior columns. On the ventral midline, the anterior median fissure provides the entry point for sulcal (central) arteries that course posteriorly into the cord substance, branching as arterioles toward the anterior horns. A pial arterial network (vasa corona) encircles the cord surface, sending penetrating branches inward, while small nerve rootlets emerge anterolaterally and posterolaterally toward the ventral and dorsal roots. Sulcal arteries matter because they represent the dominant intramedullary supply from the anterior spinal artery to the anterior two thirds of the cord, including corticospinal tracts and the motor neurons of the anterior horns. Occlusion of the anterior spinal artery or a feeding segmental artery can produce anterior spinal cord syndrome, with disproportionate motor deficit and pain and temperature loss, while sparing dorsal column modalities. This view also supports teaching the vascular watershed concept and the vulnerability of the thoracolumbar cord in settings such as aortic cross-clamping, hypotension, or embolic events. Small vessels, big consequences. Use it in neuroanatomy and neurovascular lectures to correlate gray and white matter territories with arterial perfusion, or in neurosurgery and anesthesia materials addressing perioperative spinal cord ischemia risk. It also fits clinical education on spinal stroke patterns, radiculomedullary contributions, and interpretation of cord infarct imaging by anatomical territory. Anatomical accuracy verified by SciePro's Medical Advisory Board.