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Cervical enlargement
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The cervical enlargement corresponds to one of the two symmetrical swellings in the spinal cord spanning from vertebral levels C3 to T1.
It is the source of the anterior rami of spinal nerves contributing to the brachial plexus to innervate the upper limbs. More specifically, this enlargement results from the increased volume of motor neuron cells in the ventral horns of the grey matter.
The lumbar enlargement is the other spinal cord expansion and is associated with the lumbar plexus which supplies the lower limbs.
| Terminology |
English: Cervical enlargement Latin: Intumescentia cervicalis |
| Definition | The cervical enlargement is a swelling in the spinal cord spanning from vertebral levels C3 to T1. |
Learn more about the anatomy of the spinal cord in the following study unit:
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