Система Orphus

Symptoms of disease - violation of the spinal cord

The spinal cord (the medulla spinalis), Department of the Central nervous system of vertebrate animals and man, located in the spinal canal; more other departments of the Central nervous system preserved features of the primitive brain tube chord.

The spinal cord has the form of a cylindrical strand with the internal cavity (spinal canal); it is covered with three brain membranes: soft, or vascular (internal), of (average) and solid (outdoor), and held constant position with wires running from the shell to the inner wall of the bone channel. The space between the soft and of enclosures (subarachnoid) and the brain, as the spinal canal, filled with cerebrospinal fluid. The front (top) end of the spinal cord passes into the medulla oblongata, rear (lower) - the so-called end of the thread.

The spinal cord is conventionally divided into segments by number of vertebrae. The human 31-33 segment: 8 cervical, 12 thoracic, 5 lumbar, 5 sacral and 1-3 coccygeal. From every segment of the departs group of nerve fibers - radicular thread, which, when combined, form the spinal roots. Each pair of roots corresponds to one of the vertebrae and exits the spinal canal through the hole between them. In adults, animals and human spinal cord is shorter than of the spinal canal, so the roots of the lower segments in the form of a beam hang down and emerge from the spinal canal through the intervertebral holes. Rear (dorsal), spinal roots carry sensitive (afferent, or centripetal) nerve fibers through which the spinal cord is transmitted impulses from receptors of the skin, muscles, tendons, joints, and internal organs. Front (ventral) roots contain motor (efferent, or centrifugal) nerve fibers in which the impulses from the motor or sympathetic cells of the spinal cord are transferred to the periphery (to skeletal muscle, smooth muscles of blood vessels and internal organs). The rear and front roots in front of the entrance to the intervertebral hole coalesce to form when exiting the spine mixed nerve trunks.

The spinal cord consists of the two symmetrical halves of the United narrow bridge; the nerve cells and their short processes (dendrites) will form around the spinal canal gray matter (in cross-section has the form of a butterfly with the spread wings). The nerve fibers, the components of the ascending and descending pathways of the spinal cord, forming at the edges of the grey matter of the white substance. Projections of gray matter (front, rear and side horns) the white substance is divided into three parts - the front, rear and side cord, the boundaries between them are the places of the front and rear of spinal roots.

The activity of the spinal cord is reflective. Reflexes arise under the action of the afferent signals in the spinal cord from the receptors, which are the beginning of a reflex arc, as well as under the influence of signals, coming first in the brain, and then descending into the spinal cord on the downward path. When transection of the spinal cord, when violated his connection with the brain, are stored (albeit in a weakened form in connection with the development of the spinal shock) own reflexes muscles, protective reflexes, reflexes flexion and extension of the limbs, narrow vessels and some other reflexes of internal organs. The most complex reflex reactions of the spinal cord are governed by the various centres of the brain. The spinal cord is thus not only a link in the transmission of the reports from the brain signals the Executive bodies: these signals are processed intercalary neurons of the spinal cord and are combined with the signals coming at the same time in the spinal cord of peripheral receptors. The main role in the integrative function of the spinal cord play exciting and inhibitory synaptic processes, developing in the nerve cells under the action of coming to them through different neural paths pulses. The summation of excitatory synaptic processes is the basis of the mutual reinforcement of functional-unidirectional reflex reactions; in the case of coincidence of functionally opposite reflexes (for example, flexor and of the extensor) they are mutually slowed down.

Injury or pathological process in the spinal cord lead to loss of the relevant motor or vegetative functions (paralysis) and the violation of those forms of sensitivity, the paths which pass through the spinal cord (mechanical, thermal and painful skin sensitivity, sensitivity of the locomotor system and some of the internal organs). Depending on the nature of the damage, dysfunction of the spinal cord may be General or selective. In connection with separate the different ascending ways destruction of the left and right halves of the spinal cord leads to the violation of the corresponding side of the body of the mechanical sensitivity while maintaining the temperature and pain syndrome (brownsequard,). The destruction of the descending pathways of the spinal cord may result, along with the termination of the voluntary movement to the preservation and even strengthening of the reflex reductions in response to peripheral stimuli (spastic paralysis).



Which diseases there is violation of the spinal cord

A person distinguish malformations, diseases and injuries of the spinal cord.

To malformations of the spinal cord include for example the lack of (amyelia) or underdevelopment of log (atelomyelia).

Disease the spinal cord can be caused by many reasons. So the hereditary diseases of the nervous system (for example, family Friedreich's ataxia) are often accompanied by signs of defeat of a spinal cord. A number of infections flows with the defeat of the substance of the spinal cord its sheaths, and roots (e.g., meningitis, myelitis, paralysis, radiculitis). Syndromes lesions of the spinal cord are characteristic for some chronic progressive disease of the nervous system (syringomyelia, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, multiple sclerosis, etc.) syphilis (back tabes).

Tumors of the spinal cord can be primary (extramedullary - developing mainly of the meninges and roots; intramedullary - developing in the matter of the brain mainly from the cells of the glial cells) and metastatic. As a consequence of the spread of infection with the blood flow or contact way (as a complication with a damaged spine) occurs abscess of the spinal cord, which can be placed over the Dura (epidurally) or below it (subdural). Tuberculous spondylitis in 10-15% of cases is accompanied by spinal and brain disorders. Sometimes they are also observed for herniated intervertebral disc, degenerative processes in the spine (osteochondrosis, spondylosis). Disorders of the spinal circulation, caused by the pathology of the thoracic and abdominal aortic aneurysm and the arteries that are directly supplying the spinal cord, changes in the spine and other causes, may lead to infarction of the spinal cord.

Traumatic lesions of the spinal cord: concussion, contusion, squeezing, bleeding in the shell and the substance is found both in isolation and in combination with fractures of the spine. With closed fractures, sprains, stab and gunshot wounds of the spine are often observed damage to the shell, white and gray matter until the complete anatomical break the spinal cord.

For the treatment of lesions of the spinal cord is used conservative and surgical methods depending on the cause and nature of the disease.



Which doctor should I contact if there is a violation of the spinal cord

  • Neurologist
  • Neurosurgeon
  • Traumatologist


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Do you feel disrupted spinal cord? You should be very careful approach to your health in general. People pay not enough attention to the symptoms of the disease and don't realize that these diseases can be critically dangerous. There are many diseases that in the beginning didn't manifest in our body, but in the end it turns out, unfortunately, it have already been treated too late. Every disease has its own specific features typical symptoms - called symptoms of the disease. Definition of symptoms is the first step in the diagnosis of diseases in general. You just need a few times a year to be screened by a doctor, not only to prevent a terrible disease, but also to maintain a healthy spirit in a body and the organism in general.

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