What does the filum terminale do?
What does the filum terminale do?
The filum terminale (FT) is a fibrous band that extends from the conus medullaris to the periosteum of the coccyx, and its functions are to fixate, stabilize, and buffer the distal spinal cord from normal and abnormal cephalic and caudal traction.
Is fatty filum tethered cord?
Types of spinal cord tethering The most common form of spinal cord tethering is fatty filum terminale, also called thickened filum. The filum terminale is normally a thin, flexible fiber that connects the bottom of the spinal cord to the bottom of the bones of the spine.
What is filum terminale syndrome?
Tight filum terminale syndrome, or tight filum syndrome, is a subtype of the tethered cord syndrome that is attributed to a thick, short, and/or otherwise inelastic filum terminale rather than other tethering agents.
What causes spinal lipoma?
Spine Disorders Lipomas are considered developmental or inclusion tumors because they are caused by an error in fetal development in which normal adipose tissue remains stuck to developing spinal cord tissue. Dermoids and epidermoids are also considered developmental inclusion tumors.
Are filum terminale nerves?
In addition, it is surrounded by the nerves forming the cauda equina, from which it can be easily recognized by its bluish-white color. The lower part, or filum terminale externum, closely adheres to the dura mater….Filum terminale.
| Terminal filum | |
|---|---|
| TA2 | 5384, 5414 |
| FMA | 83977 |
| Anatomical terminology |
Is filum terminale vestigial?
Objective: To identify and characterize in detail a novel source of human NPCs in the filum terminale (FT), a vestigial structure at the caudal end of the spinal cord, which is easily accessed and plays no functional role in the postnatal nervous system.
Which vertebral level does filum terminale end?
The upper part, or filum terminale internum, is about 15 cm long and reaches as far as the lower border of the second sacral vertebra. It is continuous above with the pia mater and contained within a tubular sheath of the dura mater….Filum terminale.
| Terminal filum | |
|---|---|
| TA2 | 5384, 5414 |
| FMA | 83977 |
| Anatomical terminology |
Is filum terminale a nerve?
However, adhering to the outer surface of the filum terminale are a few strands of nerve fibres which probably represent rudimentary second and third coccygeal nerves. Furthermore, the central canal of the spinal cord extends 5 to 6 cm beyond the conus medullaris, downward into the filum terminale.
How filum terminale is formed?
The Anatomy of the Filum Terminale The central nervous system starts to develop during the third week of gestation. This process (neurulation) leads to the formation of the neural tube, which in turn forms the conus medullaris and the terminal ventricle through tunneling and brings about the primitive spinal cord.
Can spinal lipomas grow?
Spinal cord lipomas may grow with changes in body fat, and can produce neurological manifestations due to nervous tissue compression or cord tethering.
What is epidural fat in the spinal canal?
Introduction. Epidural fat is adipose tissue located within the epidural space, that is, the area located between the dura mater and the vertebral wall of the spine. Epidural fat increases proximally to distally in the lumbar spinal canal [1,2].
What does fatty filum terminale mean?
Location and the size of fatty filum are considered as the important factors for Tethered cord syndrome. The thickened fatty filum terminale (more than 2mm) considered as one of the causes of the tethering.
What does fatty filum terminale lipoma mean on MRI?
Fatty filum terminale MRI Syn: Lipoma of the filum terminale, filar lipoma. A relatively common benign finding on MR imaging of the lumbar spine, seen in ~ 5 % of cases. On MRI the abnormality typically is thin and linear, extends over only few segments.
What are the symptoms of an enlarged filum terminale?
The filum can be enlarged either with fibrous tissue only or with fat. A thickened or fatty filum terminale may be associated with a low conus and a spectrum of clinical findings, including bladder dysfunction, leg numbness and weakness, and scoliosis. In the presence of neurologic findings and a fatty filum,…
What is the filum terminale of the cervical spine?
Filum terminale. The filum terminale is an extension of the pia mater that is attached to the coccygeal segments, whose function is to suspend the cord in the CSF (like the denticulate ligaments).
