Anatomical Section of the Spinal Cord and Its Veins

Description

Centered in the section is the spinal cord (myelon) with a butterfly-shaped substantia grisea forming posterior (dorsal) and anterior (ventral) horns, surrounded by substantia alba arranged into dorsal, lateral, and ventral funiculi. Radiculae posteriores and radiculae anteriores emerge from the posterolateral and anterolateral sulci, then unite laterally as the mixed spinal nerve before continuing into its peripheral branches. A perimedullary venous network and small intramedullary venules course radially from the gray matter toward the cord surface, where collecting veins converge toward the internal vertebral venous plexus within the epidural space. Venous drainage of the spinal cord matters because it explains the distribution of venous infarction and edema patterns in spinal dural arteriovenous fistula and other arteriovenous shunts, where elevated venous pressure impairs medullary perfusion. The continuity between intramedullary veins, perimedullary collectors, and the valveless internal vertebral venous plexus also frames how pressure changes in the thorax and abdomen can transmit into the spinal canal. Keep the roots straight: posterior roots carry sensory fibers into the dorsal horn, anterior roots carry motor outflow from the ventral horn. That relationship anchors neurologic localization when vascular congestion preferentially affects the cord surface and the long tracts in the white matter. Neuroanatomy and neuroradiology courses can use this plate to teach gray and white matter organization alongside clinically relevant venous pathways, including how radicular veins accompany the roots toward the epidural plexus. It also suits surgical education on laminectomy and epidural approaches where the internal vertebral venous plexus is a common source of bleeding and a key landmark for orientation. Anatomical accuracy verified by SciePro's Medical Advisory Board.