Internal vertebral venous plexuses

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Internal vertebral venous plexuses
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Transverse section of a thoracic vertebra, showing the vertebral venous plexuses.
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Median sagittal section of two thoracic vertebrae, showing the vertebral venous plexuses.
Details
Identifiers
Latin plexus venosus vertebralis internus
TA98 A12.3.07.021
A12.3.07.026
TA2 4947, 4949
FMA 4881
Anatomical terminology

The internal vertebral venous plexuses (intraspinal veins) lie within the vertebral canal in the epidural space, [1] [2] embedded within epidural fat. [2] [3] They receive tributaries from bones, red bone marrow, and spinal cord. They are arranged into four interconnected, vertically oriented vessels - two situated anteriorly, and two posteriorly: [3]

Contents

The anterior and posterior internal plexuses communicate via a series of venous rings - one near each vertebra. [3] Due to these interconnections, the anterior and posterior internal plexuses were formerly considered a single vascular unit - the retia venosa vertebrarum. [4]

Anatomy

The internal vertebral venous plexuses are composed of valveless veins. [2] They form a denser vascular network than the external vertebral venous plexuses. [3]

The basivertebral veins are the main tributaries of the plexus. [5]

Anastomoses

They forms venous anastomoses through intervertebral foramina by way of intervertebral veins at all vertebral levels. [2]

Around the foramen magnum, they form an dense venous network with the vertebral veins, sigmoid sinuses, occipital sinuses, the basilar plexus, the condyloid emissary veins, and the rete canalis hypoglossi. [3]

The Batson venous plexus, which communicates the posterior intercostal vessels with the vertebral plexus, lacks valves so blood can flow in both directions. The clinical importance of this venous communication is that it represents an important phase in the establishment of vertebral metastases [6] and neuroschistomiasis. [7]

Related Research Articles

Articles related to anatomy include:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Spinal canal</span> Passage through the vertebral column containing the spinal cord

In human anatomy, the spinal canal, vertebral canal or spinal cavity is an elongated body cavity enclosed within the dorsal bony arches of the vertebral column, which contains the spinal cord, spinal roots and dorsal root ganglia. It is a process of the dorsal body cavity formed by alignment of the vertebral foramina. Under the vertebral arches, the spinal canal is also covered anteriorly by the posterior longitudinal ligament and posteriorly by the ligamentum flavum. The potential space between these ligaments and the dura mater covering the spinal cord is known as the epidural space. Spinal nerves exit the spinal canal via the intervertebral foramina under the corresponding vertebral pedicles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Epidural space</span> Space between the dura mater and vertebrae

In anatomy, the epidural space is the potential space between the dura mater and vertebrae (spine).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Abdominal aorta</span> Largest artery in the abdomen

In human anatomy, the abdominal aorta is the largest artery in the abdominal cavity. As part of the aorta, it is a direct continuation of the descending aorta.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Occipital sinus</span> Organ In the brain

The occipital sinus is the smallest of the dural venous sinuses. It is usually unpaired, and is sometimes altogether absent. It is situated in the attached margin of the falx cerebelli. It commences near the foramen magnum, and ends by draining into the confluence of sinuses.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Inferior ophthalmic vein</span> Vein of the orbit around the eye

The inferior ophthalmic vein is a vein of the orbit that - together with the superior ophthalmic vein - represents the principal drainage system of the orbit. It begins from a venous network in the front of the orbit, then passes backwards through the lower orbit. It drains several structures of the orbit. It may end by splitting into two branches, one draining into the pterygoid venous plexus and the other ultimately into the cavernous sinus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pterygoid plexus</span>

The pterygoid plexus is a fine venous plexus upon and within the lateral pterygoid muscle. It drains by a short maxillary vein.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ligamenta flava</span> Ligaments connecting the laminae of adjacent vertebrae

The ligamenta flava are a series of ligaments that connect the ventral parts of the laminae of adjacent vertebrae. They help to preserve upright posture, preventing hyperflexion, and ensuring that the vertebral column straightens after flexion. Hypertrophy can cause spinal stenosis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Posterior longitudinal ligament</span> Ligament connecting vertebral bodies of all of the vertebrae

The posterior longitudinal ligament is a ligament connecting the posterior surfaces of the vertebral bodies of all of the vertebrae of humans. It weakly prevents hyperflexion of the vertebral column. It also prevents posterior spinal disc herniation, although problems with the ligament can cause it.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lumbar veins</span> Veins that drain the posterior abdominal wall

The lumbar veins are four pairs of veins running along the inside of the posterior abdominal wall, and drain venous blood from parts of the abdominal wall. Each lumbar vein accompanies a single lumbar artery. The lower two pairs of lumbar veins all drain directly into the inferior vena cava, whereas the fate of the upper two pairs is more variable.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">External vertebral venous plexuses</span>

The external vertebral venous plexuses consist of anterior and posterior plexuses which anastomose freely with each other. They are most prominent in the cervical region where they form anastomoses with the vertebral, occipital, and deep cervical veins.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Basivertebral veins</span> Veins within the vertebral column

The basivertebral veins are large, tortuous veins of the trabecular bone of vertebral bodies that drain into the internal and external vertebral venous plexuses.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Intervertebral veins</span>

The intervertebral veins accompany the spinal nerves through the intervertebral foramina to drain the internal vertebral venous plexuses into the external vertebral venous plexuses. They drain into vertebral vein, intercostal veins, lumbar veins, and lateral sacral veins. Upper posterior intercostal veins may additionally drain via brachiocephalic vens. They may drain to ascending lumbar veins. They may drain into the inferior vena cava directly, reaching it by winding around the surface of the vertebral body.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Spinal veins</span>

The spinal veins are situated in the pia mater and form a minute, tortuous, venous plexus.

The Batson venous plexus is a network of valveless veins in the human body that connect the deep pelvic veins and thoracic veins to the internal vertebral venous plexuses. Because of their location and lack of valves, they are believed to provide a route for the spread of cancer metastases. These metastases commonly arise from cancer of the pelvic organs such as the rectum and prostate and may spread to the vertebral column or brain. The plexus is named after anatomist Oscar Vivian Batson, who first described it in 1940. Batson's plexus is part of the Cerebrospinal venous system.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anterior spinal veins</span>

Anterior spinal veins are veins that receive blood from the anterior spinal cord.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Outline of human anatomy</span> Overview of and topical guide to human anatomy

The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to human anatomy:

The cerebrospinal venous system (CSVS) consists of the interconnected venous systems of the brain and the spine.

The marginal sinus is a dural venous sinus surrounding the margin of the foramen magnum inside the skull, accommodated by the groove for marginal sinus. It usually drains into either the sigmoid sinus, or the jugular bulb. It communicates with the basilar venous plexus anteriorly, and the occipital sinus posteriorly ; it may form extracranial communications with the internal vertebral venous plexuses, or deep cervical veins.

References

  1. Moore, Keith (2010). Clinically Oriented Anatomy. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams and Wilkins. pp. 472–3. ISBN   978-0-7817-7525-0.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "plexus venosus vertebralis internus". TheFreeDictionary.com. Retrieved 2023-05-12.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Standring, Susan (2020). Gray's Anatomy: The Anatomical Basis of Clinical Practice (42nd ed.). New York. p. 882. ISBN   978-0-7020-7707-4. OCLC   1201341621.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  4. "retia venosa vertebrarum". TheFreeDictionary.com. Retrieved 2023-05-12.
  5. Sinnatamby, Chummy S. (2011). Last's Anatomy (12th ed.). Elsevier Australia. p. 453. ISBN   978-0-7295-3752-0.
  6. Brook RC, Tung K, Oeppen R. Batson’s plexus and retrograde venous spread of malignancy – a pictorial review. Cancer Imaging. 2014;14(Suppl 1):P40. Published 2014 Oct 9. doi:10.1186/1470-7330-14-S1-P40
  7. Carbonell C, Rodríguez-Alonso B, López-Bernús A, Almeida H, Galindo-Pérez I, Velasco-Tirado V, Marcos M, Pardo-Lledías J, Belhassen-García M. Clinical Spectrum of Schistosomiasis: An Update. J Clin Med. 2021 Nov 25;10(23):5521. doi: 10.3390/jcm10235521. PMID 34884223; PMCID: PMC8672275.