Posterolateral sulcus of spinal cord

Sulcus posterolateralis medullae spinalis

  • Latin synonym: Sulcus lateralis posterior medullae spinalis
  • Synonym: Dorsolateral sulcus of spinal cord
  • Related terms: Posterolateral sulcus; Posterolateral sulcus; Dorsolateral sulcus

Definition

Posterolateral sulcus of spinal cord refers to a sulcus or a depression present along the dorsal (or posterior) surface of the spinal cord. It is situated between the posterior and the lateral white columns. It also serves as the site where the posterior or sensory rootles of spinal nerves emerge for each segment of the spinal cord.

References

Text written by Muhammad A. Javaid, MD, PhD © 2022 IMAIOS.

  • Snell, R.S. (2010). ‘Chapter 4: The Spinal Cord and the Ascending and Descending Tracts, in Clinical Neuroanatomy. (7th ed.) Philadelphia: Wolters Kluwer Health/Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, pp. 137-139.

  • Ganapathy MK, Reddy V, Tadi P. Neuroanatomy, Spinal Cord Morphology. [Updated 2021 Oct 30]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2022 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK545206/

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