Filum terminale

Information about Filum terminale

Phylum terminale
Cauda equina and phylum terminale seen from behind. The dura mater has been opened and spread out, and the arachnoid has been removed. (phylum terminale labeled at center right.)
Sagittal section of vertebral canal to show the lower end of the medulla spinalis and the filum terminale.
Li, Lv. First and fifth lumbar vertebra.
SII Second sacral vertebra.
1. Dura mater.
2. Lower part of subarachnoid cavity.
3. Lower extremity of medulla spinalis.
4. Filum terminale internum.
5. Filum terminale externum.
6. Attachment of phylum terminale to first segment of coccyx.
subject #185 750
Dorlands/Elsevier f_07/12364942
The phylum terminale is a delicate filament, about 20 cm. in length, prolonged downward from the apex of the conus medullaris.

It consists of two parts, an upper and a lower.
  • The upper part, or phylum terminale internum, measures about 15 cm. in length and reaches as far as the lower border of the second sacral vertebra. It is contained within the tubular sheath of dura mater, and is surrounded by the nerves forming the cauda equina, from which it can be readily recognized by its bluish-white color.
  • The lower part, or phylum terminale externum, is closely invested by, and is adherent to, the dura mater; it extends downward from the apex of the tubular sheath and is attached to the back of the first segment of the coccyx.
The phylum terminale consists mainly of fibrous tissue, continuous above with that of the pia mater.

Adhering to its outer surface, however, are a few strands of nerve fibers which probably represent rudimentary second and third coccygeal nerves; further, the central canal of the medulla spinalis extends downward into it for 5 or 6 cm.

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This article was originally based on an entry from a public domain edition of Gray's Anatomy. As such, some of the information contained herein may be outdated. Please edit the article if this is the case, and feel free to remove this notice when it is no longer relevant.

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Anatomy of torso (primarily): the spinal cord
Spinal nerveDorsal (Root, Ganglion, Ramus) • Ventral (Root, Ramus) • Sympathetic trunk • rami communicantes (Gray, White)
Gray matter/Rexed laminaePosterior horn (Column of Clarke, Substantia gelatinosa of Rolando, Nucleus proprius) • Lateral horn • Anterior horn • Central canal/Substantia gelatinosa centralis
White matter: somatic/ascending (blue)
White matter: motor/descending (red)
LayersEpidural space • Dura mater • Subdural space • Arachnoid mater • Subarachnoid space • Pia mater
Other structuresDenticulate ligaments • Conus medullaris • Cauda equina • Filum terminale • Cervical enlargement • Lumbar enlargement • Anterior median fissure
In sciences dealing with the anatomy of animals, precise anatomical terms of location are necessary for a variety of reasons. Non-scientists often wonder why zoological and human anatomists use complex terminology to describe locations on a body, when common terms like "up",
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The spinal canal (or vertebral canal or spinal cavity) is the space in vertebrae through which the spinal cord passes. It is a process of the dorsal human body cavity. This canal is enclosed within the intervertebral foramen of the vertebrae.
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spinal chord is a thin, tubular bundle of nerves that is an extension of the central nervous system from the brain and is enclosed in and protected by the bony vertebral column.
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The lumbar vertebrae are the largest segments of the movable part of the vertebral column, and are characterized by the absence of the foramen transversarium within the transverse process, and by the absence of facets on the sides of the body.
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The sacrum is a large, triangular bone at the base of the spine and at the upper and back part of the pelvic cavity, where it is inserted like a wedge between the two hip bones.
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The dura mater (from the Latin "hard mother"), or pachymeninx, is the tough and inflexible outermost of the three layers of the meninges surrounding the brain and spinal cord. (The other two meningeal layers are the pia mater and the arachnoid mater.
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For the anatomy term, see Subarachnoid space.


SubArachnoid Space is a San Francisco-based psychedelic rock band founded in 1996 by Mason Jones, the owner of the independent music label Charnel Music.
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spinal chord is a thin, tubular bundle of nerves that is an extension of the central nervous system from the brain and is enclosed in and protected by the bony vertebral column.
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The phylum terminale is a delicate filament, about 20 cm. in length, prolonged downward from the apex of the conus medullaris.

It consists of two parts, an upper and a lower.
  • The upper part, or phylum terminale internum, measures about 15 cm.

..... Click the link for more information.
The phylum terminale is a delicate filament, about 20 cm. in length, prolonged downward from the apex of the conus medullaris.

It consists of two parts, an upper and a lower.
  • The upper part, or phylum terminale internum, measures about 15 cm.

..... Click the link for more information.
The coccyx (pronounced kok-siks) (Latin: os coccygis), commonly referred to as the tailbone, is the final segment of the human vertebral column, of four fused vertebrae (the coccygeal vertebrae) below the sacrum.
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Elsevier, the world's largest publisher of medical and scientific literature, forms part of the Reed Elsevier group. Based in Amsterdam, the company has substantial operations in the UK, USA and elsewhere.
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The conus medullaris is the terminal end of the spinal cord. It occurs near lumbar nerves 1 (L1) and 2 (L2). After the spinal cord terminates, the spinal nerves continue as dangling nerves called the cauda equina. The upper end of the conus medullaris is usually not well defined.
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The sacrum is a large, triangular bone at the base of the spine and at the upper and back part of the pelvic cavity, where it is inserted like a wedge between the two hip bones.
..... Click the link for more information.
The dura mater (from the Latin "hard mother"), or pachymeninx, is the tough and inflexible outermost of the three layers of the meninges surrounding the brain and spinal cord. (The other two meningeal layers are the pia mater and the arachnoid mater.
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The cauda equina is a structure within the lower end of the spinal column of most vertebrates, that consists of nerve roots and rootlets from above. Cauda equina is sometimes considered as an extension of the pia mater of the spinal cord.
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The coccyx (pronounced kok-siks) (Latin: os coccygis), commonly referred to as the tailbone, is the final segment of the human vertebral column, of four fused vertebrae (the coccygeal vertebrae) below the sacrum.
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The pia mater (Latin: "tender mother", itself a translation from Arabic) is the delicate innermost layer of the meninges - the membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord.
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The term spinal nerve generally refers to the mixed spinal nerve, which is formed from the dorsal and ventral roots that come out of the spinal cord. The spinal nerve is the bit that passes out of the vertebrae through the intervertebral foramen.
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spinal chord is a thin, tubular bundle of nerves that is an extension of the central nervous system from the brain and is enclosed in and protected by the bony vertebral column.
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spinal chord is a thin, tubular bundle of nerves that is an extension of the central nervous system from the brain and is enclosed in and protected by the bony vertebral column.
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Georgetown University is a private, Jesuit, research university, located in Washington, D.C.'s Georgetown neighborhood. Father John Carroll founded the school in 1789, though its roots extend back to 1634.
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The State University of New York Health Science Center at Brooklyn, better known as SUNY Downstate Medical Center, is an academic medical center and is the only one of its kind in the Borough of Brooklyn in New York City.
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Elsevier, the world's largest publisher of medical and scientific literature, forms part of the Reed Elsevier group. Based in Amsterdam, the company has substantial operations in the UK, USA and elsewhere.
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Public domain comprises the body of knowledge and innovation (especially creative works such as writing, art, music, and inventions) in relation to which no person or other legal entity can establish or maintain proprietary interests within a particular legal jurisdiction.
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Henry Gray's Anatomy of the Human Body (or Gray's Anatomy as it has commonly been shortened) is an English-language human anatomy textbook widely regarded as a classic work on the subject.
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Torso is an anatomical term for the central part of the many animal bodies (including that of the human) from which extend the neck and limbs. It is sometimes referred to as the trunk. The torso includes the thorax and abdomen.
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spinal chord is a thin, tubular bundle of nerves that is an extension of the central nervous system from the brain and is enclosed in and protected by the bony vertebral column.
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