THE LUMBAR ANTERIOR EPIDURAL CAVITY - THE POSTERIOR LONGITUDINAL LIGAMENT, THE ANTERIOR LIGAMENTS OF THE DURA-MATER AND THE ANTERIOR INTERNAL VERTEBRAL VENOUS PLEXUS

The contents of the anterior epidural cavity were studied to elucidate the relationship between veins, ligaments, and membranous formations. Anatomical, radiological and histological studies on human specimens after latex or gelatin/gadolinium venous injection at the level of the lumbar spine show that the posterior longitudinal ligament is a cross -shaped formation which includes the septum, the superficial part exte nding into the intervertebral foramen and the anterior ligaments of th e dura mater. The anterior epidural cavity contains two medial and two lateral spaces, The two medial cavities enclose anterior and medial v enous plexuses, which together receive the basivertebral veins; the tw o lateral cavities receive the anterior longitudinal veins, Contents o f the medial and lateral cavities pass freely between the two, The lat eral cavity connects with the intervertebral canal and dorsally into t he posterior epidural space.