Dermatome Map Armsdermatome Map Of The Upper Limb Stock Photo Alamy – The term “dermatome” is a combination of 2 Ancient Greek words; “derma” suggesting “skin”, and “tome”, suggesting “cutting” or “thin section”. It is an area of skin which is innervated by the posterior (dorsal) root of a single spinal nerve. As posterior roots are organized in sectors, dermatomes are. This is why the term “dermatome” refers to the segmental innervation of the skin.
Dermatome Map Hi Res Stock Photography And Images Alamy – Dermatome Map Hi res Stock Photography And Images Alamy
Neighboring dermatomes frequently, if not always overlap to some degree with each other, as the sensory peripheral branches representing one posterior root normally exceed the limit of their dermatome. The thin lines seen in the dermatome maps are more of a medical guide than a real border. Dermatome Map Armsdermatome Map Of The Upper Limb Stock Photo Alamy
This suggests that if a single back 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 2 or 3 surrounding posterior roots require to be affected. In addition, it’s important to note that dermatomes are subject to a big degree of interindividual variation. A visual representation of all the dermatomes on a body surface chart is referred to as a dermatome map. Dermatome Map Armsdermatome Map Of The Upper Limb Stock Photo Alamy
Dermatome maps
Dermatome maps depict the sensory circulation of each dermatome across the body. Clinicians can evaluate cutaneous sensation with a dermatome map as a method to localize lesions within main nervous tissue, injury to particular back nerves, and to figure out the extent of the injury. Numerous dermatome maps have been developed over the years but are frequently clashing.
The most typically used dermatome maps in significant textbooks are the Keegan and Garrett map (1948) which leans towards a developmental interpretation of this idea, and the Foerster map (1933) which associates better with clinical practice. This article will evaluate the dermatomes using both maps, determining and comparing the major distinctions between them.
Why Are Dermatomes Important?
To comprehend dermatomes, it is important to understand the anatomy of the spinal column. The spinal column is divided into 31 sections, each with a pair (right and left) of anterior and posterior nerve roots. The types of nerves in the anterior and posterior roots are various.
Anterior nerve roots are accountable for motor signals to the body, and posterior nerve roots get sensory signals like pain or other sensory symptoms. The posterior and anterior nerve roots combine on each side to form the spinal nerves as they exit the vertebral canal (the bones of the spine, or backbone).