Canine spinal cord length extends from the foramen magnum to which vertebral level?

Canine spinal cord length extends from the foramen magnum to which vertebral level?

• A. Foramen Magnum to L3
• B. Foramen Magnum to L5/L6
• C. Foramen Magnum to sacrum
• D. Foramen Magnum to C1

Answer: (B)

Spinal cord length in dogs runs from the foramen magnum to the conus medullaris around the level of the last lumbar vertebra, typically L5–L6. As the vertebral column grows longer than the spinal cord during development, the spinal cord ends higher up than the lower back bones. Below that end, the nerve roots continue as the cauda equina to exit at the appropriate levels. So, the cord terminates around L5–L6, with the lower vertebral canal housing the cauda equina rather than spinal cord tissue. The other options place the end either too cranially or too caudally to be correct for the typical canine anatomy.

Spinal cord length in dogs runs from the foramen magnum to the conus medullaris around the level of the last lumbar vertebra, typically L5–L6. As the vertebral column grows longer than the spinal cord during development, the spinal cord ends higher up than the lower back bones. Below that end, the nerve roots continue as the cauda equina to exit at the appropriate levels. So, the cord terminates around L5–L6, with the lower vertebral canal housing the cauda equina rather than spinal cord tissue. The other options place the end either too cranially or too caudally to be correct for the typical canine anatomy.