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Anatomy of the lumbar spinal nerves in the intervertebral foramen
Author(s) -
Kostelic John K.,
Haughton Victor M.,
Sether Lowell A.
Publication year - 1991
Publication title -
clinical anatomy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.667
H-Index - 71
eISSN - 1098-2353
pISSN - 0897-3806
DOI - 10.1002/ca.980040507
Subject(s) - medicine , anatomy , gross anatomy , spinal nerve , cadaver , dissection (medical) , lumbar , intervertebral foramen , lumbar nerve , spinal cord , nerve root , sagittal plane , dorsum , psychiatry
The anatomic relationships between the dorsal and ventral roots, spinal nerve, and dorsal and ventral rami of the lumbar spinal nerves have been described previously primarily on the basis of gross dissection and not on sectional anatomic techniques. Therefore, we examined the proximal spinal nerves in 16 cadavers by gross dissection, cryomicrotomy, and histology. On opening the root sheath that had been exposed by gross dissection, multiple fascicles could be identified intervening between the spinal nerve and the spinal nerve roots. Anatomic sections in a sagittal plane immediately distal (lateral) to the dorsal root ganglion demonstrated a plexus of fascicles 6–15 in number and 2–6 mm in length. On histologic sections the 6–15 fascicles were identified interspersed with fat and numerous small blood vessels. The proximal spinal nerve is formed from the convergence of these fascicles.