The filum terminale is best described as what?

The filum terminale is best described as what?

• A. Connective tissue that anchors spinal cord to coccyx
• B. Connective tissue that anchors spinal cord to sacrum
• C. A motor nerve root
• D. A blood vessel

Answer: (B)

The filum terminale is a slender fibrous strand formed by pia mater that extends from the tip of the spinal cord (the conus medullaris) down to the coccyx. Its main role is to anchor and stabilize the spinal cord within the vertebral column, limiting excessive movement during flexion, extension, and other motions. There are two portions: the part inside the dura (filum terminale internum) up to about S2, and the part that exits the dura (filum terminale externum) to attach to the coccyx. It is not a motor nerve root and not a blood vessel, and it does not anchor to the sacrum. Therefore, describing it as connective tissue that anchors the spinal cord to the coccyx best fits.

The filum terminale is a slender fibrous strand formed by pia mater that extends from the tip of the spinal cord (the conus medullaris) down to the coccyx. Its main role is to anchor and stabilize the spinal cord within the vertebral column, limiting excessive movement during flexion, extension, and other motions. There are two portions: the part inside the dura (filum terminale internum) up to about S2, and the part that exits the dura (filum terminale externum) to attach to the coccyx. It is not a motor nerve root and not a blood vessel, and it does not anchor to the sacrum. Therefore, describing it as connective tissue that anchors the spinal cord to the coccyx best fits.