 Meningeal layer
MENINGES
The brain in the skull and the spinal cord in
the vertebral column are surrounded by three
protective   membranes,   or   meninges:   the
dura mater, the arachnoid mater, and the
pia mater.  magnum with the dura mater of the
MENINGES OF THE BRAIN
I. DURA MATER
o closely united except along certain lines,
where   they   separate   to   form  venous
sinuses.  o The   function   of   these   septa   is   to
o divided   into   endosteal   and   meningeal
layer
 Endosteal layer 
o the   periosteum   covering   the   inner
surface of the skull bones.
o At the foramen magnum, it does  not
become   continuous   with   the   dura
mater of the spinal cord.
o It is continuous with the  periosteum
on the outside of the skull bones.
o At the sutures, it is continuous with
the sutural ligaments
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o the dura mater proper.
o It   is   a   dense,   strong   fibrous
membrane covering the brain and is
continuous   through   the   foramen
spinal cord.
o It   provides   tubular   sheaths   for   the
cranial   nerves   as   the   latter   pass
through the foramina in the skull.
o Outside   the   skull,   the   sheaths   fuse
with the epineurium of the nerves.
restrict the displacement of the brain
associated   with   acceleration   and
deceleration,   when   the   head   is
moved. 
 Falx cerebri
o a sickle­shaped fold of dura mater
that lies in the midline between the
two cerebral hemispheres 
 Tentorium cerebelli
o a   crescent­shaped   fold   of   dura
mater that roofs over the posterior
cranial fossa
o covers   the   upper   surface   of   the
cerebellum   and   supports   the
 occipital   lobes   of   the   cerebral
hemispheres.
o In the anterior edge there is a gap,
the  tentorial   notch,  for   the
passage of the midbrain
 Falx cerebelli
o a   small,   sickle­shaped   fold   of
dura mater attached to the internal
occipital   crest,   projects   forward
between   the   two   cerebellar
hemispheres.  of   the   neck   and   the   back   of   the
 Diaphragma sellae
o is   a   small,   circular   fold   of   dura
mater that forms the roof for the
sella turcica 
o A   small   opening   in   its   center
allows passage of the stalk of the
hypophysis cerebri 
 DURAL NERVE SUPPLY
o Branches   of   the  trigeminal,   vagus,
and   the  first   three   cervical   spinal
nerves  and   branches   from   the
sympathetic trunk pass to the dura. 
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o possesses numerous sensory endings
that are sensitive to stretching, which
produce the sensation of headache. 
o Stimulation of the sensory endings of
the trigeminal nerve above the level
of   the   tentorium   cerebelli   produces
referred pain  to an area of skin on
the same side of the head 
o Stimulation   of   the   dural   endings
below   the   level   of   the   tentorium
produces  pain referred to the back
scalp  along   the   distribution   of   the
greater occipital nerve
 DURAL ARTERIAL SUPPLY
o from   the  internal   carotid,
maxillary,   ascending   pharyngeal,
occipital, and vertebral arteries
o Most   important   is   the  middle
meningeal   artery,  which   can   be
damaged in head injuries. 
o Middle   meningeal   artery  arises
from   the   maxillary   artery   in   the
infratemporal   fossa.   It   enters   the
cranial   cavity   through   the  foramen
spinosum  and then lies between the
meningeal   and   endosteal   layers   of
dura. 
 o Meningeal veins  lie in the endosteal
layer of dura. The middle meningeal
vein   follows   the   branches   of   the
middle   meningeal   artery   and   drains
into   the   pterygoid   venous   plexus   or
the sphenoparietal sinus  the skull
 DURAL VENOUS SINUSES
o situated between the layers of the dura
mater
o main function is to receive blood from
the   brain   through   the   cerebral   veins
and   the   cerebrospinal   fluid   from   the
subarachnoid   space   through   the
arachnoid villi
o The   dural   sinuses   are   lined   by
endothelium, and their walls are thick
but   devoid   of   muscular   tissue.   They
have no valves.  the confluence of the sinuses
1. Emissary veins
o valveless   connect   the   dural
venous   sinuses   with   the  diploic
veins  of   the   skull   and   with   the
veins of the scalp
2. Superior sagittal sinus
o occupies   the   upper   fixed   border
of the falx cerebri.
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o anteriorly at the foramen cecum,
where   it   occasionally   receives   a
vein from the nasal cavity.
o posteriorly, grooving the vault of
o at   the   internal   occipital
protuberance, it deviates to one or
the other side (usually the right)
and becomes continuous with the
corresponding transverse sinus.
o communicates   through   small
openings   with   two   or   three
irregularly   shaped  venous
lacunae on each side
o receives   the  superior   cerebral
veins
o At   the   internal   occipital
protuberance, it is dilated to form
 
3. Inferior sagittal sinus 
o occupies the free lower margin of
the falx cerebri
o runs backward and joins the great
cerebral vein at the free margin 
of the tentorium cerebelli to form 
the straight sinus 
4. Straight sinus
 o occupies   the   line   of   junction   of o ach   sinus   turns   downward   and
the falx cerebri with the tentorium medially and grooves the mastoid
cerebelli part of the temporal bone 

o formed   by   the   union   of   the o turns forward and then inferiorly

inferior   sagittal   sinus  with   the through the posterior part of the
great cerebral vein. jugular   foramen   to   become
continuous   with   the  superior
o ends   by   turning   to   the   left bulb  of   the  internal   jugular
(sometimes to the right) to form vein. 
the transverse sinus. 
7. Occipital sinus 
5. Transverse sinuses
o is   a   small   sinus   occupying   the
o right  sinus is  usually continuous attached   margin   of   the   falx
with the superior sagittal sinus, cerebelli

o left is continuous with the straight o communicates with the vertebral
sinus.
veins  and   drains   into   the
o Each sinus occupies the attached confluence of sinuses.
margin of the tentorium cerebelli
8. Cavernous sinuses
o receive   the  superior   petrosal
o situated in the middle cranial fossa on
sinuses,  the  inferior   cerebral
each side of the body of the sphenoid
and  cerebellar   veins,  and   the
bone 
diploic veins.
o Each sinus extends from the superior
o end by turning downward as the orbital fissure in front to the apex of
sigmoid sinuses the petrous part of the temporal bone
behind. 
6. Sigmoid sinuses
9. Superior & Inferior Petrosal sinus
o direct   continuation   of   the
transverse sinuses.  o superior   sinus   drains   the   cavernous
sinus   into   the   transverse   sinus,   and
each   inferior   sinus   drains   the
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 cavernous   sinus   into   the   internal o it  is   separated  from   the  pia  by   the
jugular vein.  subarachnoid space

o arachnoid   projects   into   the   venous

sinuses to form arachnoid villi. 
 The  internal   carotid   artery,
surrounded   by   its  sympathetic o Aggregations   of   arachnoid   villi   are
nerve   plexus,  runs   forward referred   to   as  arachnoid
through the sinus granulations 

 The  abducent nerve  also passes o Arachnoid villi serve as sites where

through the sinus.  the   cerebrospinal   fluid   diffuses   into
the bloodstream. 
 The  third  and  fourth   cranial
nerves  and   the  ophthalmic  and o connected to the pia mater across the
maxillary   divisions   of   the fluid­filled   subarachnoid   space   by
trigeminal nerve run  delicate strands of fibrous tissue. 

 Common   tributaries   are   the o Fuses   with   the   epineurium   of   the

superior  and  inferior nerves at their point of exit from the
ophthalmic   veins,  the  inferior skull
cerebral   veins,  the
III. PIA MATER
sphenoparietal   sinus,  and   the
central vein of the retina.  o vascular   membrane   covered   by
flattened mesothelial cells.
II. ARACHNOID MATER
o losely invests the brain, covering the
o arachnoid   mater   is   a   delicate, gyri and descending into the deepest
impermeable membrane covering the sulci
brain and lying between the pia mater
internally   and   the   dura   mater o extends   out   over   the   cranial   nerves
externally and fuses with their epineurium. 

o It   is   separated  from   the   dura  by   a o The   pia   mater   forms   the  tela
potential space, the  subdural space, choroidea of the roof of the third and
filled by a film of fluid fourth ventricles of the brain, and it
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 fuses with the ependyma to form the arachnoid   and   dura;   spinal   cord   is
choroid plexuses in the lateral, third, suspended in middle of dural sheath
and fourth ventricles of the brain. 

MENINGES   OF   THE   SPINAL

CORD

I. DURA MATER

o dense, strong, fibrous membrane that
encloses the spinal cord and the cauda
equina

o it ends on the filum terminale at the
level   of   the   lower   border   of   the
second sacral vertebra. 

II. ARACHNOID MATER

o lies between the pia mater internally
and dura mater externally

o separated   from   the   pia   mater   by   a

wide space, the subarachnoid space

o it ends on the filum terminale at the
level   of   the   lower   border   of   the
second sacral vertebra. 

III. PIA MATER

o Forms  ligamentum   denticulatum,

which passes laterally to adhere to the
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