The cervical myodural bridge, a review of literature and clinical implications

The cervical myodural bridge, a review of literature and clinical implications — The Fascia Guide

Key takeaways

01A soft tissue bridge connects deep neck muscles to the spinal dura
02Helps anchor the spinal cord and monitor dural tension
03May transmit forces to the dura during whiplash-type injuries
04The rectus capitis posterior major may exert the most force on the dura

Deep neck muscles are physically connected to the spinal cord's covering, which may influence neck pain and sensorimotor control.

Abstract

The role of posterior cervical musculature in sensorimotor control, cervicocephalic pain, and stabilization of the spinal cord has been recently described. Anatomical soft tissue connections which cross the cervical epidural space link suboccipital muscle fascia and dura. These myodural bridges provide passive and active anchoring of the spinal cord. They may also be involved in a dural tension monitoring system to prevent dural infolding, and maintain patency of the spinal cord. Modulation of dural tension may be initiated via a sensory reflex to muscular contractile tissues. Unanticipated movements such as hyperflexion extension injuries stimulate deep suboccipital muscles and transmit tensile forces through the bridge to the cervical dura. Due to its larger cross sectional area, the rectus capitis posterior major myodural bridge may exert greater mechanical traction on the dura than the rectus capitis posterior minor. University ethics committee approval and anatomical donor consent was obtained for this study.

Cite this study

APA: Dennis E Enix, Frank Scali, & Matthew E Pontell (2014). The cervical myodural bridge, a review of literature and clinical implications. https://fasciaresearchdatabase.com/the-cervical-myodural-bridge-a-review-of-literature-and-clinical-implications/
MLA: Dennis E Enix, et al. "The cervical myodural bridge, a review of literature and clinical implications." 2014, https://fasciaresearchdatabase.com/the-cervical-myodural-bridge-a-review-of-literature-and-clinical-implications/.
Chicago: Dennis E Enix, Frank Scali, Matthew E Pontell. 2014. "The cervical myodural bridge, a review of literature and clinical implications.". https://fasciaresearchdatabase.com/the-cervical-myodural-bridge-a-review-of-literature-and-clinical-implications/