Blood vessels of the spinal cord

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The spinal cord receives its main arterial supply from the vertebral arteries. The vertebral artery arises from the subclavian artery and gives off three branches for the spinal cord: a single anterior spinal and two posterior spinal arteries. These branches pass longitudinally along the anterior and posterior aspect of the spinal cord, respectively, and are thus deemed as longitudinal vessels.

The spinal cord receives additional arterial supply from segmental spinal arteries that arise in a craniocaudal sequence from the spinal branches of vertebral, deep cervical, posterior intercostal and lumbar arteries. These branches pass through the intervertebral foramina and split into anterior and posterior radicular branches that pass along the anterior and posterior roots, respectively. At some levels of the spinal cord, some radicular arteries give rise to segmental medullary arteries that anastomose with the longitudinal vessels.

Venous blood from the spinal cord is largely drained via a single anterior spinal vein and a single posterior spinal vein, which, in turn, drain into the internal vertebral plexus found in the epidural space. The blood from the internal vertebral plexus continues to drain into the external vertebral plexus, and finally empties into systemic veins of the caval and azygos systems, depending on the location.

Watch the following video to learn more about the blood vessels of the spinal cord.

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Take a closer look at the blood vessels of the spinal cord in the gallery below.