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Cervical meninges, spinal cord and nerve roots dissected from behind

Dura mater in cervical region and in posterior cranial fossa

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Image #217-3
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Cervical meninges, spinal cord and nerve roots dissected from behind
Dura mater in cervical region and in posterior cranial fossa
The dura has been exposed by removing part of the occipital bone and the arches of the upper five cervical vertebrae. The cranial dura mater is continuous through the foramen magnum (15) with that which covers the spinal cord. The spinal dura is separated from the wall of the vertebral canal by the epidural space which contains fat and plexiform veins. In the cervical region this space is narrow and the veins are small. Below the foramen magnum the dura is fused with the posterior atlantooccipital membrane (16) so that above the level of the atlas no epidural space is present.
  1. Cerebellum (dura removed, arachnoid intact)
  2. Occipital artery
  3. Medulla oblongata visible through cerebellomedullary cistern (arachnoid intact)
  4. Vertebral artery (lying amidst venous plexus)
  5. Posterior arch of atlas (cut across)
  6. Greater occipital nerve
  7. Third occipital nerve
  8. Splenius capitis muscle (reflected)
  9. Posterior external vertebral venous plexus (between muscle layers)
  10. Semispinalis capitis muscle (reflected)
  11. Splenius cervicis muscle (reflected)
  12. Semispinalis cervicis muscle (cut across)
  13. Posterior meningeal artery
  14. Superior oblique capitis muscle (cut across)
  15. Occipital bone (pointer at margin of foramen magnum)
  16. Posterior atlanto-occipital membrane (atlas and the occipital bone to which this was attached have been removed)
  17. Dura mater
  18. Rotator muscle (cut near origin)
  19. Posterior external vertebral venous plexus (posterior to vertebral arches)
  20. Lamina (arch of vertebra) C. IV (cut across)
  21. Lamina (arch of vertebra) C. VI with attachment of ligamentum flavum visible along upper margin
  22. Spinous process vertebra C. VI
  23. Spinous process vertebra C. VII (vertebra prominens)
  24. Levator scapulae muscle