抄録
There have been few morphometric studies of age-related changes in the human spinal cord. Therefore, the purpose of the present study was to determine whether changes occur in the dimensions of the human spinal cord during the aging process. Spinal cords were removed from 22 male cadavers aged 41 to 97 years (average, 70.3 years) at the time of death. Spinal cord segments were embedded in celloidin after secondary fixation and dehydration. Sections were stained with the Luxol fast blue-periodic acid-Schiff-hematoxylin and Klüver-Barrera methods. Morphometric analysis was performed with a microscope, an electronic optical planimeter and a computer. The cross-sectional area and diameters of the spinal cord at the segment C6 were measured. The transverse area of the spinal cord was not correlated with age, but the ratio of the area of the posterior funiculus to the area of the entire transverse section and the flatness ratio decreased with increasing age. Amyloid bodies were observed in the posterior funiculus, near the entrance of the dorsal roots or both, and tended to increase with age. Our results suggest that degenerative changes occur in the spinal cord with aging.
