Quick Facts
Origin: Spinal branches.
Course: Accompany the anterior and posterior roots of the spinal cord through the intervertebral foramina.
Branches: Anterior and posterior radicular and segmental medullary arteries.
Supplied Structures: Anterior and posterior roots and spinal ganglion.
Related parts of the anatomy
Origin
The radicular arteries are small arteries that arise from lateral spinal branches of the vertebral, ascending cervical, intercostal, subcostal, and lumbar arteries.
Course
The radicular arteries pass medially to enter the intervertebral foramina at each vertebral level. They accompany the anterior and posterior root of the spinal cord. Most of the radicular arteries are too small to reach as far as the spinal cord itself, or terminate in the pial plexus (Standring, 2020).
The larger radicular arteries can reach the spinal cord and divide into ascending and descending branches to contribute to the anterior and posterior spinal arteries. There radicular arteries are termed the segmental medullary arteries (or radiculomedullary arteries).
Branches
The radicular arteries divide into anterior and posterior radicular arteries to accompany the anterior and posterior roots of the spinal cord, respectively.
Supplied Structures
The small radicular arteries supply the anterior and posterior roots of the spinal cord (including the spinal, or dorsal root, ganglion).
References
Standring, S. (2020) Gray's Anatomy: The Anatomical Basis of Clinical Practice. 42nd edn.: Elsevier Health Sciences.
Learn more about this topic from other Elsevier products
Radicular Artery
The radicular artery is termed the radiculomeningeal artery when it feeds the nerve roots and dura at every level.
