1. A Brief Introduction to
Neuroanatomy
Part One: The Major Cord
Spine and Spinal Cord Anatomy
Lucas Brammar

2. A Brief Introduction to
Neuroanatomy
The Major Cord
• Development of the Spine and
Spinal Cord
• The vertebral column
• Spinal Cord
• The Meninges
Unlocking the Cranial Vault
• Bones and joints of the skull
• Return of the meninges
• Gross structure of the brain and the
skull vaults
• Gross structure of the brain stem
Vasculature
• Major arterial supply to the brain and
brain stem
• Venous drainage of the brain – sinuses
Nerve Spotting
• Introduction to the Cranial Nerves
• Introduction to Cranial Nerve
Examinations
Brachial plexus to be covered in musculoskeletal tutorials

3. A Brief Introduction to
Neuroanatomy
Motor On
• Motor regions of the brain
• The Basal Ganglia (nuclei)
• Cerebellum
Somatosensory Systems
• Sensory regions of the brain
• Sensory pathways
• The great pain problem…
Reflexes
• Major spinal cord reflexes
• Upper and Lower Motor Neurone
defecits
Motor Pathways
• Motor neurones
• Corticospinal Tract
• Brain stem motor tracts
Special Senses
• Vision and the visual cortex
• Vestibulocochlear systems
• Audition and Olfaction and the olfactory cortex

4. Part One: The Major Cord
• Brief introduction to the development of
the spine and spinal cord
• Vertebrae and the vertebral column
• Spinal cord and meninges
Outline

5. Development of the Spinal
Cord
Three key embryonic layers:
• Ectoderm (neural tissue and
skin)
• Mesoderm (connective
tissues)
• Endoderm (most viscera)
Images: wikimedia commons

6. The Spine
Spine is constructed of vertebrae
Anterior
Posterior
Vertebral body
Transverse process
Spinous process
Pedicle
Spinal canal
Image: http://www.theluklinskispineclinic.com

7. The Spine
• 7 Cervical
• 12 Thoracic
• 5 Lumbar
• 5 fused Sacral (“sacrum”)
• Coccyx
Image: wikimedia commons

8. Cervical Vertebrae
• Transverse foraminae
• Bifid spinous processes*
• Small vertebral body
Image: wikimedia commons

9. Atlas and Axis
• C1 = Atlas
• C2 = Axis “The atlas holds up the
World”
No vertebral body
Odontoid peg
The atlanto-axial joint

10. The C-Spine
Image: Jeremy Jones,
radiopaedia.org

11. Thoracic Vertebrae
• Sloping spinous process
• Facets on transverse processes
• “heart shaped” vertebral foramen
Image: spineuniverse.com

12. Lumbar Vertebrae
• Very large vertebral body
• Small transverse and spinous process
• “kidney-shaped” vertebral foramen
Image: spineuniverse.com

13. Sacrum and Coccyx
Image: tutorvista.com

14. Fitting it together…
• Intervertebral discs (secondary
cartilagenous)
Images: active motion physiotherapy, Basic science of disc degeneration (Adams M)

15. Intervertebral disc prolapse
Image: Dr Muhammad Essam, radiopaedia.org

16. Fitting it together…
• Apophyseal joints (gliding synovial joints)
Inferior articular
process
Superior articular process
Image: http://www.theluklinskispineclinic.com

17. Conditions affecting the spine…
• Sponylosis
• Spinal stenosis
• Sponylolisthesis
• Disc disease
• “Back pain”
• Osteoperosis
• Traumatic injury
• Many more…

18. The Spinal Cord
Cauda Equina
Head
Foramen magnum
L1 / L2 (^ T12 in children)
Image: wikimedia commons

19. Spinal Cord: Summary
• Begins at foramen magnum, terminates
between L1-L2 (as high as T12 in children)
• Terminates as the conus medullaris
tapering to the thin filum terminale.
• ‘Fans out’ into peripheral nerves – the
cauda equina
Image: wikimedia commons

20. Spinal Cord in Cross
Section
Image: http://people.eku.edu/ritchisong/spinalcord5.gif
Spinal nerve

21. Spinal Nerves
31 pairs of spinal nerves:
• 8 cervical
• 12 thoracic
• 5 Lumbar
• 5 Sacral
• 1 coccyggeal
Image: wikimedia commons

22. Meninges
The meninges are tissue coverings surrounding the spinal
cord and the brain
Epidural space
• Dura mater (“hard mother”) = fibrous tissue
• Arachnoid mater = fine tissue layer
• Pia mater = vascular, adherent to tissue
Image: wikimedia commons

23. Epidural
• Injection of Local
anaesthetic into
epidural space
• Dangerous: don’t
hit the
subarachnoid
space!
Image: wikimedia commons