Vertebral canal/Vertebral foramen

The vertebral foramen is the central opening located within each vertebra, bounded anteriorly by the vertebral body and posteriorly by the vertebral arch. The alignment of all the vertebral foramina forms the vertebral canal, a long bony conduit that extends from the foramen magnum to the lumbosacral junction.

Anatomically, the vertebral canal contains the spinal cord, its meninges, the cerebrospinal fluid, as well as the nerve roots of the spinal nerves. It is also traversed by segmental vessels and surrounded by epidural adipose tissue. Its shape and diameter vary depending on the type of vertebra (cervical, thoracic, lumbar).