Origins of arteries supplying the meninges and spinal cord

Abstract

The vessels on the spinal meninges are very fine and usually not easily seen in life. They are, nonetheless, arranged in regular patterns reminiscent of the periosteal circulation on long bones (Crock, 1967). In the cervical region (Fig. 2.1), fine branches from the ascending and deep cervical arteries run along the posterosuperior borders of the cervical nerve roots. Just inside the spinal canal, these branches bifurcate to form a longitudinally orientated channel in the epidural space. From this channel, midway between adjacent nerve roots, main stem branches pass on to the side of the dural sac, running transversely backward toward the midline where they anastomose with corresponding arteries from the other side. These unnamed segmental arteries are joined into an open plexus on the side and posterior surfaces of the dural sac by an irregular number of longitudinal branches (Fig. 2.2). A similar pattern is found on the anterior surface of the durai sac, based on meningeal branches of the nerve root arteries.