Arterial blood supply of the thoracic and lumbosacral parts of the spinal cord in Wistar rats.

The thoracic and lumbosacral parts of the rat's spinal cord are supplied by 1) ventral and dorsal radicular arteries which contribute to vascular trunk passing along the spinal cord, and 2) ventral and 2) dorsolateral spinal arteries. The dorsal radicular arteries in the thoracic part arise bilaterally at the same level and are more numerous and of lesser diameter than corresponding ventral radicular arteries. In the lumbar part the dorsal radicular arteries are also more numerous than ventral ones which were mainly found at the levels of L1, L2 and L3. The sacral radicular arteries are present sporadically at the S1.