Definition

1. Noun:
   • The bony passageway formed by the vertebral foramina of successive vertebrae, which encloses and protects the spinal cord: The "vertebral canal" is the continuous, tube-like channel running through the center of the vertebral column (spine). It is created by the alignment of the holes (vertebral foramina) in each individual vertebra. This canal houses the spinal cord, spinal nerve roots, meninges, and associated vessels.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • A herniated disc can protrude into the vertebral canal and compress a nerve root.
  • The surgeon accessed the spinal cord through an opening in the vertebral canal.
  • Spinal stenosis is a narrowing of the vertebral canal.

Advanced Usage

• Clinical Context: The term is frequently used in medical, anatomical, and clinical descriptions related to injury, disease, or surgical procedures of the spine.
  • Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) provides a clear view of the structures within the vertebral canal.

Variants and Related Words

• Spinal canal: This is a direct synonym for "vertebral canal" and is often used interchangeably in medical contexts.
• Neural canal: An alternative term, particularly in embryological or comparative anatomical contexts.
• Vertebral foramen (noun): The individual opening in a single vertebra that contributes to forming the vertebral canal.

Synonyms

• Spinal canal: The most common synonym.
• Neural canal: Used especially in developmental anatomy.

Related Anatomical Structures (Not Phrasal Verbs)

• Spinal cord: The major nerve tract that runs through the vertebral canal.
• Meninges: The protective membranes (dura mater, arachnoid mater, pia mater) that surround the spinal cord within the canal.
• Epidural space: The space between the walls of the vertebral canal and the dura mater.

Noun

1. the canal in successive vertebrae through which the spinal cord passes