spinal canal

noun

variants or less commonly spinal cavity

: a canal in the spinal column through which the spinal cord passes and is delimited dorsally by the arches on the dorsal side of the vertebrae

called also vertebral canal

Examples of spinal canal in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

After a series of tests, doctors diagnosed him with spinal stenosis, a condition involving the narrowing of the spinal canal, which ultimately ended his football career and required him to have surgery, according to Forbes. —Nasha Smith, People.com, 7 Dec. 2024

With wear and tear, the fibrous ring can rupture, allowing the core to break into the spinal canal where the neurons live. —Tony Dajer, Discover Magazine, 13 June 2024

Spinal stenosis is a condition where the spinal canal or a nerve root is compressed by bone and connective tissue in the back, often as a result of degenerative joint or disk disease. —Dr. Keith Roach, oregonlive, 14 Sep. 2023

About the width of a thumb, your sciatic nerve starts in the lower part of the spinal canal and then splits to run down through your pelvic area, each buttock and thigh, and along each leg to your feet and toes. —Laura Riley, Parents, 2 Sep. 2023

Word History

First Known Use

1801, in the meaning defined above

Medical Definition

spinal canal

noun

variants also spinal cavity

: a canal in the spinal column through which the spinal cord passes and is delimited dorsally by the arches on the dorsal side of the vertebrae : vertebral canal