Articles
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742 results found
Article
Posterior vertebral element lesions (mnemonic)
A mnemonic for posterior vertebral element lesions is:
GO TAPE
Mnemonic
G: giant cell tumor
O: osteoid osteoma / osteoblastoma
T: tuberculosis
A: aneurysmal bone cyst
P: Paget disease
E: eosinophilic granuloma
Article
Thoracic spine
The thoracic spine (often shortened to T-spine) forms the middle part of the vertebral column. It extends from below C7 of the cervical spine to above L1 of the lumbar spine. There are 12 thoracic vertebra, termed T1-T12.
The thoracic spine is unique due to its articulation with ribs via costal...
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Typical thoracic vertebrae
Given the twelve thoracic vertebrae are largely similar, most are considered typical thoracic vertebrae with the exceptions T1 and T9 to T12. For a basic anatomic description of the structure of typical vertebrae, see vertebrae.
Terminology
In medical English, some doctors and texts refer to t...
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T11 vertebra
T11 is an atypical thoracic vertebra. In contrast to typical thoracic vertebrae, it contains a single costal facet that articulates with the atypical eleventh rib. There are no facets on the transverse processes.
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T1 vertebra
T1 is an atypical thoracic vertebra. In contrast to typical thoracic vertebrae, it contains a complete facet for the 1st rib and a demifacet for the 2nd rib. It contains lips on the upper surface of the body. T1 also has a spinous process more horizontal than other thoracic vertebrae.
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T12 vertebra
T12 is an atypical thoracic vertebra. In contrast to typical thoracic vertebrae, it contains a single costal facet with no facets on transverse processes.
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Atypical thoracic vertebrae
T1 and T9 - T12 are considered atypical thoracic vertebrae.
T1 bears some resemblance to low cervical vertebrae
T9 has no inferior demifacet
T10 often, but not always, shares features with T11 and T12.
For a basic anatomic description of the structure a generic vertebra, see vertebrae.
Article
Vertebral pneumatocyst
Vertebral pneumatocysts are gas-filled cavities within the spinal vertebrae. They are most common at cervical levels. In general, vertebral pneumatocysts are less common than intraosseous pneumatocysts in the pelvis, especially adjacent to the sacroiliac joint.
Pathogenesis
Although not comple...
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Spinal epidural space
The spinal epidural (extradural) space is distinctly separate from and not continuous with the cranial epidural space. Its exact definition and description are contentious 3.
Gross anatomy
The spinal epidural space is located in the spinal canal between the spinal dura mater and the vertebral...
Article
White matter tracts of the spinal cord
The spinal cord has numerous tracts of white matter that ascend and descend in the peripheral substance of the cord. They can be divided by their location and function:
anterolateral columns
anterior corticospinal tract
medial longitudinal fasiculus
spinothalamic tracts
lateral spinothalami...
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Anterior spinothalamic tract
The anterior spinothalamic tract, also known as the ventral spinothalamic fasciculus, is an ascending pathway located anteriorly within the spinal cord, primarily responsible for transmitting coarse touch and pressure.
The lateral spinothalamic tract (discussed separately), in contrast, primar...
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Lateral spinothalamic tract
The lateral spinothalamic tract, also known as the lateral spinothalamic fasciculus, is an ascending pathway located anterolaterally within the peripheral white matter of the spinal cord. It is primarily responsible for transmitting pain and temperature as well as coarse touch.
The anterior sp...
Article
Spinothalamic tracts
The spinothalamic tracts are ascending pathways in the spinal cord primarily concerned with sensory function. They are responsible for transmitting pain, temperature, coarse (non-discriminative) touch and pressure sensations 1.
Unlike other tracts main spinal tracts, the spinothalamic tracts de...
Article
Erosion of the odontoid process (differential)
Erosion of the odontoid peg can result from a number of pathological entities:
inflammatory arthropathy
rheumatoid arthritis: classic 1,2
systemic lupus erythematosus
crystal arthropathy
calcium pyrophosphate arthropathy (CPPD): relatively common
gout
non-inflammatory arthropathy: osteoar...
Article
Denticulate ligaments
The denticulate ligaments are bilateral triangular lateral extensions of pia mater that anchor the spinal cord to the dura mater.
They are formed by pia mater of the spinal cord coursing in-between the dorsal and ventral nerve roots bilaterally. They function to provide stability to the spinal ...
Article
Cortical bone
The outer shell of compact bone is called cortical bone or cortex. It is formed by compact bone which is one of the two macroscopic forms of bone, the other being cancellous bone.
Gross anatomy
Cortical bone contains Haversian systems (osteons) which contain a central Haversian canal surround...
Article
Posterior vertebral scalloping (mnemonic)
A useful mnemonic to remember the differential diagnoses for posterior vertebral scalloping is:
SALMON
Mnemonic
S: spinal cord tumor (e.g. astrocytoma, ependymoma, schwannoma)
A: achondroplasia, acromegaly
L: Loeys-Dietz syndrome (and other connective tissue disorders)
M: Marfan's syndrome...
Article
Sugar coating
So-called "sugar coating" or zuckerguss (German for sugar icing) refers to the appearance of diffuse linear/sheetlike leptomeningeal contrast enhancement in the brain or spinal cord due to drop metastases or leptomeningeal carcinomatosis. It is seen both as a result of CNS involvement from dista...
Article
HIV-related vacuolar myelopathy
HIV-related vacuolar myelopathy, also known as AIDS-related myelopathy, is the most common chronic myelopathy associated with HIV infection and is typically seen in the late stages of the disease.
Clinical presentation
Patients tend to have slowly progressive weakness of the lower extremities,...
Article
Lymphoma of the spinal cord
Lymphoma of the spinal cord is an uncommon manifestation of lymphoma. Although lymphoma more commonly involves the vertebral body (vertebral body tumors) or epidural compartment, intramedullary lymphoma may rarely occur.
Apparent intramedullary spinal cord lymphoma may often, in fact, represe...
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