What is the blood supply of the spinal cord?
The one anterior spinal artery and the two posterior spinal arteries travel along the length of the cord to supply blood to the cord.
These arteries originate from the vertebral arteries. Other arteries replenish the anterior and posterior spinal arteries and enter the spinal canal through the intervertebral foramina in association with the spinal nerves.
They are called radicular arteries if they supply only the nerve roots, and radiculospinal arteries if they supply blood to both the roots and the cord.
Each radiculospinal artery supplies blood to approximately six spinal cord segments, with the exception of the great radicular artery of Adamkiewicz, which usually enters with the left second lumbar ventral root (range T10 to L4) and supplies most of the caudal third of the cord.
