Ischemic myelopathy: A review of spinal vasculature and related clinical syndromes

Vertebral body infarction indicating midthoracic spinal stroke

“…The anterior medullary arteries, originating inconstantly and unilaterally from the spinal branches of the paired segmental arteries contribute blood to the anterior spinal artery and so to the sulcocomissural vessels in a variable number of 6 to 10. 8 The segment Th 8 of the spinal cord, which was clinically a ected in our patient, is located at a higher level in the transversal plane than vertebra Th 9 and 10. This di erence in level of ischemia can be considered as a consequence of the ascending course of the medullary artery following the nerve roots with an increasing obliquity from cranial to caudal levels.…”

“…This di erence in level of ischemia can be considered as a consequence of the ascending course of the medullary artery following the nerve roots with an increasing obliquity from cranial to caudal levels. 8 In summary, the combined infarction of vertebral bodies and spinal cord in our patient was most likely due to a fragmented embolus deriving from aortic plaques. Vertebral body hyperintensities on T2-weighted MRI are not speci®c for infarction.…”

Subacute delayed ascending myelopathy after low spine injury: case report and evidence of a vascular mechanism

“…This part of the spine corresponds to the region most frequently entered by the Great Artery of Adamkiewicz (GAA), the largest single medullary artery supplying the spinal cord. 12 Thus, post-traumatic thrombus of the GAA was considered by Aito et al, 8 among other etiologies, as a possible cause of early delayed ascending myelopathy. However, a spinal angiogram was not performed on their patient.…”

Rehabilitation for Spinal Cord Injury Caused by Thoracic Aortic Aneurysm

“…The anterior and posterior spinal arteries receive segmental circulation from segmental arteries for their blood supply; the largest of these is the artery of Adamkiewicz, which originates from the lower thoracic aorta in the majority of people (Fig 2). (Sliwa & Maclean, 1992) This large intercostal (segmental) artery has various origins, but originates from T8-L1 in most patients. Intraoperative ischemia in the spinal cord is thought to be, at least in part, related to the interruption of blood flow through these intercostal arteries due to cross-clamping of the www.intechopen.com Diagnosis, Screening and Treatment of Abdominal, Thoracoabdominal and Thoracic Aortic Aneurysms 366 aorta and surgical ligation during aneurysmal resection.…”