Cauda Equina
The cauda equina (literally, 'horse's tail' after its appearance) is the name given the collection of nerve fibers located at the end of the spinal column. The individual nerves in this part of the spinal cord exit the foramina within the vertebral bones of the spine nearly parallel with the spinal cord itself, unlike the nerves exiting the higher spinal vertebrae, which exit more nearly perpendicular to the central nerve bundle. This gives the cauda equina a collective appearance very much like how a horse's tail looks near to its body. The cauda equina can be found in the bottom third of the spinal canal and from the T12/L1 vertebrae to the coccyx, beyond the conus medullaris into the lumbar region. It consists of 9 to 11 pairs of spinal nerves (including the sciatic nerve) that communicate sensory and motor nerve messages between the central nervous system and the organs from the pelvis and throughout the lower limbs.
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