Lateral corticospinal tract

Last revised by Yahya Baba on 26 Oct 2021

Citation, DOI, disclosures and article data

Citation:

Palipana D, Baba Y, Hacking C, et al. Lateral corticospinal tract. Reference article, Radiopaedia.org (Accessed on 03 Dec 2023) https://doi.org/10.53347/rID-47482

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.53347/rID-47482

Permalink:

https://radiopaedia.org/articles/47482

rID:

47482

Article created:

17 Aug 2016, Dinesh Palipana

Disclosures:

At the time the article was created Dinesh Palipana had no recorded disclosures.

View Dinesh Palipana's current disclosures

Last revised:

26 Oct 2021, Yahya Baba ◉

Disclosures:

At the time the article was last revised Yahya Baba had no recorded disclosures.

View Yahya Baba's current disclosures

Revisions:

12 times, by 8 contributors - see full revision history and disclosures

Systems:

Central Nervous System, Spine

Sections:

Anatomy

Tags:

spine, neuroanatomy, spinal cord

The lateral corticospinal tract is formed at the level of the of the medullary pyramids when the majority (90%) of descending corticospinal tract fibers decussate. The remaining 10% do not decussate and form the much smaller anterior corticospinal tract. A few non-decussated fibers may enter the lateral corticospinal tract ^1,2.

The lateral corticospinal tract descends along the lateral funicular and then lies anterolateral to the dorsal horn. As it descends it deviates to the dorsolateral surface of the spinal cord, with individual fibers leaving the tract to synapse with grey matter motor neurons within the ventral horns. As more fibers leave the corticospinal tract commensurately diminishes in size. At approximately the fourth sacral level, it terminates entirely.