Spinal Cord Column Function and Sensory Transmission

Primary Functions and Pathways

• The posterior columns of the spinal cord transmit proprioception, vibration sense, and fine discriminative touch, while the lateral columns contain the corticospinal tracts and the spinothalamic tracts, according to the American Heart Association 1, 2

Lateral Column Transmission and Motor Control

• The lateral corticospinal tracts are responsible for motor control, including voluntary movement commands from the motor cortex to spinal motoneurons, as stated by the Congress of Neurological Surgeons 3, 4, 5

Lateral Spinothalamic Tracts and Sensory Transmission

• The lateral spinothalamic tracts transmit pain sensation and temperature sensation from the contralateral body, as reported by the British Pharmacological Society 6, 7
• A lesion affecting the lateral spinothalamic tract causes loss of pain and temperature sensation on the opposite side of the body below the lesion level, according to the American Heart Association 8

Clinical Monitoring Applications and Limitations

• Somatosensory evoked potentials monitor the integrity of the lateral and posterior columns during thoracic aortic surgery, but have limitations as they do not assess the anterior motor column, which is more vulnerable to ischemic injury, as noted by the American Heart Association 1, 2