Definition

1. Adjective:

   • Relating to the spine or spinal cord: "spinal" describes anything connected to the backbone (vertebral column) or the spinal cord contained within it.

2. Noun:

   • Spinal anesthesia: A type of regional anesthesia that numbs the lower half of the body, achieved by injecting anesthetic into the cerebrospinal fluid surrounding the spinal cord.

Examples of Usage

• Adjective:

  • He suffered a spinal injury in the accident.
  • The spinal cord transmits nerve signals between the brain and the body.
  • The doctor ordered a spinal tap to check for infection.

• Noun:

  • The patient was given a spinal before the surgery on his leg.
  • A spinal is often used for procedures like cesarean sections.

Advanced Usage

• "Spinal" in Medical Terminology: The word is frequently used as a combining form in medical terms.
  • Spinal stenosis: The narrowing of spaces within the spine.
  • Spinal fusion: A surgical technique to join two or more vertebrae.
  • Spinal shock: A temporary loss of reflex activity below a spinal cord injury.

Variants and Related Words

• Spinally (adverb): In a manner relating to the spine.
  • The drug is administered spinally.
• Spine (noun): The backbone or vertebral column.
• Spinal Cord (noun phrase): The cylindrical bundle of nerve fibers enclosed in the spine.
• Cerebrospinal (adjective): Pertaining to the brain and spinal cord.

Synonyms

• Adjective: Vertebral (specifically relating to the vertebrae of the spine).
• Noun: Intrathecal block, subarachnoid block (more technical terms for spinal anesthesia).

Related Phrases

• Spinal column: Another term for the vertebral column or backbone.
• Spinal fluid: Short for cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), the clear fluid surrounding the brain and spinal cord.
• Spinal nerves: The nerves that emerge from the spinal cord.

Adjective

1. of or relating to the spine or spinal cord
   • spinal cord
   • spinal injury

Noun

1. anesthesia of the lower half of the body; caused by injury to the spinal cord or by injecting an anesthetic beneath the arachnoid membrane that surrounds the spinal cord