Meninges
by Craig Canby, PhDThe meninges’ main function is protecting the central nervous system. They are composed of three membranous layers that envelop the brain and spinal cord. From deep to superficial, respectively, the three layers are the pia, arachnoid, and dura. The term mater (Latin for “mother”” often follows each name (i.e., dura mater, arachnoid mater, pia mater). The dura is made of dense connective tissue that is adherent to the bony structures surrounding the central nervous system (skull and vertebrae). The arachnoid is a thin membranous structure that is located superficial to the pia and deep to the dura. The pia is a thin membrane that adheres directly to the central nervous system structures it envelops (the brain and spinal cord). The presence of these layers allows for the formation of clinically significant potential spaces around them. These spaces, from deep to superficial, respectively, are the subarachnoid, subdural, and epidural spaces. Understanding this basic anatomy is key to understanding the pathology that might affect each, and why they have distinct clinical and radiographic presentations.
Course Details
- Videos 4
- Duration 0:16 h
- Quiz questions 12
- Concept Pages 1
