Anatomical study on the spinal arteries in the domestic cat (Felis domesticus)

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Cairo University, Egypt

Abstract

To study the normal distribution of the arteries that supply the spinal cord of the cat, a colored latex solution was injected
in the aorta of ten adult cats. The specimens were dissected to expose the spinal arteries in this species. The main arterial
supplments of the spinal cord were the ventral spinal and dorsal spinal arteries. These arteries along their courses received
several radicular arteries that arose from the vertebral, dorsal intercostal and lumbar arteries. Comparing the results
obtained with those commonly described in humans, it is clear that the domestic cat shows a great similarity in most
respects. However, marked variability of the spinal arteries arising from segmental arteries, the origin of the ventral spinal
artery and the origin and presence of the Adamkiewicz artery were recorded. Overall, the data show that, from an
anatomical standpoint, the cat seems to be a good model for spinal cord ischemia in humans

Keywords