P2: The vascular anatomy of the human spinal cord

Stereological methods were used investigate features of the vascular anatomy of the human spinal cord, in five cadavers from the Departmental collection. All material had been donated with informed consent. The average age was 84 ± 6.2 years. All cadavers were fixed by perfusion of Logan E solution. Segments of cervical and lumbar enlargements were removed, transversely sectioned, and processed for light microscopy. H&E-stained sections were examined using fluorescence microscopy, which allowed clear definition of the small blood vessels. A comparison was made between grey and white matter in both the cervical and lumbar enlargements. Stereological methods were used to estimate volume density (Vv), length density (Lv) and radial diffusion distances for grey and white matter (location) in both cervical and lumbar enlargements (region). A two-way analysis of variance of all parameters revealed a significant effect of location (P < 0.01) but no effect of region or interaction. The coefficients of variation for the radial diffusion distances in the cervical and lumbar grey matter were 3.6 and 4.8%, respectively. The corresponding values for white matter were 5.6 and 3.3%, respectively. These values highlight the remarkably tight control of the vascular supply to the spinal cord and it illustrates the potential of obtaining detailed quantitative information from preserved structures in cadaveric specimens.