Spinal Nerve Dermatome Maphow To Prevent And Alleviate Spinal Degeneration Yogauonline 3 – The term “dermatome” is a mix of two Ancient Greek words; “derma” suggesting “skin”, and “tome”, meaning “cutting” or “thin segment”. It is an area of skin which is innervated by the posterior (dorsal) root of a single spine nerve. As posterior roots are arranged in sections, dermatomes are. This is why the term “dermatome” refers to the segmental innervation of the skin.
How To Prevent And Alleviate Spinal Degeneration YogaUOnline – How To Prevent And Alleviate Spinal Degeneration YogaUOnline
Surrounding dermatomes typically, if not always overlap to some degree with each other, as the sensory peripheral branches corresponding to one posterior root generally surpass the limit of their dermatome. The thin lines seen in the dermatome maps are more of a clinical guide than a genuine boundary. Spinal Nerve Dermatome Maphow To Prevent And Alleviate Spinal Degeneration Yogauonline 3
This indicates that if a single spinal nerve is affected, there is likely still some degree of innervation to that sector of skin coming from above and listed below. For a dermatome to be completely numb, usually 2 or 3 neighboring posterior roots need to be impacted. In addition, it’s important to note that dermatomes go through a large degree of interindividual variation. A graphical representation of all the dermatomes on a body surface chart is referred to as a dermatome map. Spinal Nerve Dermatome Maphow To Prevent And Alleviate Spinal Degeneration Yogauonline 3
Dermatome maps
Dermatome maps depict the sensory circulation of each dermatome across the body. Clinicians can evaluate cutaneous feeling with a dermatome map as a method to localize lesions within central nervous tissue, injury to particular spinal nerves, and to determine the degree of the injury. A number of dermatome maps have been developed over the years but are often contrasting.
The most typically used dermatome maps in significant textbooks are the Keegan and Garrett map (1948) which leans towards a developmental analysis of this concept, and the Foerster map (1933) which correlates better with clinical practice. This article will review the dermatomes using both maps, identifying and comparing the significant differences in between them.
Why Are Dermatomes Important?
To understand dermatomes, it is necessary to comprehend the anatomy of the spine. The spine is divided into 31 sectors, each with a pair (right and left) of posterior and anterior nerve roots. The kinds of nerves in the posterior and anterior roots are various.
Anterior nerve roots are responsible for motor signals to the body, and posterior nerve roots get sensory signals like pain or other sensory signs. The anterior and posterior nerve roots integrate on each side to form the back nerves as they leave the vertebral canal (the bones of the spinal column, or backbone).