Dermatomes Chart Face

Dermatomes Chart FaceThe term “dermatome” is a combination of two Ancient Greek words; “derma” meaning “skin”, and “tome”, suggesting “cutting” or “thin section”. It is a location of skin which is innervated by the posterior (dorsal) root of a single back nerve. As posterior roots are organized in sectors, dermatomes are. This is why the term “dermatome” refers to the segmental innervation of the skin.

Dermatomes Chart Face

Dermatomes And Myotomes Sensation Anatomy Geeky Medics – Dermatomes And Myotomes Sensation Anatomy Geeky Medics

Surrounding dermatomes frequently, if not always overlap to some degree with each other, as the sensory peripheral branches representing one posterior root generally exceed the limit of their dermatome. The thin lines seen in the dermatome maps are more of a medical guide than a real boundary. Dermatomes Chart Face

This indicates that if a single spinal nerve is affected, there is most likely still some degree of innervation to that sector of skin originating from above and listed below. For a dermatome to be completely numb, normally two or three surrounding posterior roots need to be affected. In addition, it’s crucial to keep in mind that dermatomes undergo a large degree of interindividual variation. A graphical representation of all the dermatomes on a body surface area chart is referred to as a dermatome map. Dermatomes Chart Face

Dermatome maps

Dermatome maps illustrate the sensory distribution of each dermatome throughout the body. Clinicians can evaluate cutaneous sensation with a dermatome map as a way to localize lesions within central anxious tissue, injury to specific spine nerves, and to figure out the extent of the injury. Numerous dermatome maps have been developed throughout the years however are often contrasting.

The most commonly used dermatome maps in major books are the Keegan and Garrett map (1948) which leans towards a developmental analysis of this principle, and the Foerster map (1933) which correlates much better with scientific practice. This short article will review the dermatomes utilizing both maps, recognizing and comparing the major distinctions in between them.

Why Are Dermatomes Important?

To comprehend dermatomes, it is important to understand the anatomy of the spine. The spine is divided into 31 sections, each with a set (right and left) of posterior and anterior nerve roots. The types of nerves in the anterior and posterior roots are different.

Anterior nerve roots are responsible for motor signals to the body, and posterior nerve roots receive sensory signals like discomfort or other sensory signs. The anterior and posterior nerve roots combine on each side to form the spinal nerves as they exit the vertebral canal (the bones of the spine, or foundation).