Central canal

Central canal of spinal cord
Cross-section through cervical spinal cord.
Details
LocationCentre of the spinal cord
Identifiers
Latincanalis centralis medullae spinalis
TA98A14.1.02.019
TA26127
FMA78497
Anatomical terminology

The central canal (also known as spinal foramen or ependymal canal) is the cerebrospinal fluid-filled space that runs through the spinal cord.[1] The central canal lies below and is connected to the ventricular system of the brain, from which it receives cerebrospinal fluid, and shares the same ependymal lining. The central canal helps to transport nutrients to the spinal cord as well as protect it by cushioning the impact of a force when the spine is affected.

The central canal represents the adult remainder of the central cavity of the neural tube. It generally occludes (closes off) with age.[2]

  1. ^ Saker, Erfanul; Henry, Brandon M; Tomaszewski, Krzysztof A; Loukas, Marios; Iwanaga, Joe; Oskouian, Rod J; Tubbs, R. Shane (2016). "The Human Central Canal of the Spinal Cord: A Comprehensive Review of its Anatomy, Embryology, Molecular Development, Variants, and Pathology". Cureus. 8 (12): e927. doi:10.7759/cureus.927. ISSN 2168-8184. PMC 5234862. PMID 28097078.