Posterior spinal artery

Posterior spinal artery
The three major arteries of the cerebellum: the SCA, AICA, and PICA. (Posterior spinal artery is not labeled, but region is visible.)
1: posterior spinal vein 2: anterior spinal vein 3: posterolateral spinal vein 4: radicular (or segmental medullary) vein 5: posterior spinal arteries 6: anterior spinal artery 7: radicular (or segmental medullary) artery
Details
Source	vertebral or posterior inferior cerebellar
Branches	Descending and ascending branch
Vein	posterior spinal veins
Identifiers
Latin	arteria spinalis posterior
TA98	A12.2.08.013
TA2	4543
FMA	50522
Anatomical terminology

The posterior spinal artery (dorsal spinal artery) arises from the vertebral artery, adjacent to the medulla oblongata.

Path

It passes posteriorly to descend the medulla passing in front of the posterior roots of the spinal nerves. Along its course it is reinforced by a succession of segmental or radicular branches, which enter the vertebral canal through the intervertebral foramina, forming a plexus called the vasocorona. The posterior spinal arteries continue as the two major trunks down to the lower part of the medulla spinalis, and to the cauda equina.

Branches from the posterior spinal arteries form a free anastomosis around the posterior roots of the spinal nerves, and communicate, by means of very tortuous transverse branches, with the vessels of the opposite side.

Close to its origin each posterior spinal artery gives off an ascending branch, which ends ipsilaterally near the fourth ventricle.

The posterior spinal artery can often originate from the posterior inferior cerebellar artery, rather than the vertebral.

External links

• S. Lamin and J. J. Bhattacharya (2003). "Vascular Anatomy of the Spinal Cord and Cord Ischaemia". Practical Neurolog. PDF
• Template:EMedicineDictionary
• Diagram at nih.gov
• Image at anaesthesiauk.com

This article incorporates text in the public domain from page 579 of the 20th edition of Gray's Anatomy (1918)