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The normal vascularization of the intradural filum terminale in man

La vascularisation normale du filum terminale intradural chez l'homme

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Summary

The arterial and venous blood-supply of the intradural filum terminale was studied microscopically in 18 fresh cadavers after removing the dorsolumbar spinal cord in one piece, with the roots and the filum in their dural sheath. The arteries were examined after manual injection of the artery of the lumbar enlargement, while study of the veins was made without injection since their bluish-black color made them easily identifiable. After gross examination, each specimen was fixed and then sectioned at 12 different levels from the medullary conus to the bottom of the dural sac for histologic study. The distribution of the vascularization the filum terminale appeared constant. A single artery, the artery of the filum, arises from the termination of the anterior spinal axis, either by trifurcation or from the proximal part of one of the 2 branches of the anastomotic ansa of the conus. The artery travels in front of the filum, with rapidly diminishing caliber; rarely, it can be followed into the sacral canal. The vein of the filum travels in front of that structure but behind the artery, as in the cord; its caliber is uniform but varies from subject to subject. It traverses the dura below and continuous with the anterior spinal vein above. No vessels were found on the dorsal aspect of the filum. While the artery of the filum is of a caliber proportional to that of the filum and appears to be a nutrient vessel, the vein has a caliber unrelated to that of the filum and appears rather as an intradural drainage route continuous with the anterior spinal vein. Several cases of disease of the filum terminale confirm this anatomic appearance and also show that, because of the existing hyperpressure in the vein of the filum, the posterior spinal vein also shares in the drainage of the latter and that entire system may function in both ascending and descending directions.

Résumé

La vascularisation artérielle et veineuse du filum terminale intradural a été étudiée sur 18 cadavres frais, sous microscope, après prélèvement en monobloc de la moelle épinière dorso-lombaire, des racines et du filum dans leur étui dural. L'examen des artères a été fait après injection manuelle de l'artère du renflement lombaire, tandis que l'étude des veines s'est faite sans injection compte tenu d'une coloration bleu-noir spontanée qui les rendent aisément identifiables. Après étude macroscopique, chaque pièce a été fixée, puis coupée à 12 niveaux différents depuis le cône médullaire jusqu'au fond du cul-de-sac dure-mérien, pour étude histologique. La distribution de la vascularisation du FT apparaît constante. Une artère unique, l'artère du FT, naît de la terminaison de l'axe spinal antérieur, soit par trifurcation, soit de la partie proximale d'une des 2 branches de l'anse anastomotique du cône. L'artère chemine devant le FT; son calibre diminue rapidement; rarement, elle a pu être suivie jusque dans le canal sacré. Une veine, la veine du FT, chemine en avant du FT mais en arrière de l'artère, comme au niveau médullaire. Son calibre est uniforme mais variable d'un sujet à l'autre. Elle traverse la dure-mère en bas; elle se continue avec la veine spinale antérieure en haut. Aucun vaisseau n'a été retrouvé à la face dorsale du FT. Si l'artère du FT a un calibre qui est proportionnel à celui du filum et apparaît comme un vaisseau nourricier, la veine a un calibre sans aucun rapport avec le volume de celui-ci et apparaît davantage comme une voie de drainage intradural en continuité avec la veine spinale antérieure. Quelques cas de pathologie du FT confirment cet aspect anatomique et montrent aussi qu'en raison de l'hyperpression veineuse régnant dans la veine du FT, la veine spinale postérieure participe également au drainage de celle-ci et que l'ensemble peut fonctionner dans les 2 sens ascendant ou descendant.

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Djindjian, M., Ribeiro, A., Ortega, E. et al. The normal vascularization of the intradural filum terminale in man. Surg Radiol Anat 10, 201–209 (1988). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02115238

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