Anatomy
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What is the Filum Terminale?

H. Colledge
H. Colledge

The filum terminale, or terminal filament, is a slender flexible strand that attaches the bottom of the spinal cord to a bone called the coccyx at the lower end of the vertebral column. Nerve tissue makes up the spinal cord, and this transmits nerve impulses allowing communication between brain and body. The cord is wrapped inside three membranes, known as meninges, and the innermost one, the pia mater, is full of blood vessels and is continuous with the covering of the brain. It is an extension of the pia mater that forms the filum terminale. The spinal cord tapers at its lower end into the conus medullaris and from the pointed end a strand of the pia mater protrudes, becoming the filum terminale, which runs down to attach to the coccyx.

Normally, the spinal cord is suspended freely, surrounded by cerebrospinal fluid and protected within the bony column formed by the vertebrae. The filum terminale serves to attach the cord to the end of the bony spine, while still allowing some movement due to its elastic nature. Sometimes the spine fails to develop properly in the embryo, leading to an abnormal terminal filament, which is shorter than usual and fibrous rather than flexible. This condition is known as tight filum terminale syndrome.

The filum terminale is a slender flexible connector that attaches the bottom of the spinal cord to a bone called the coccyx at the lower end of the vertebral column.
The filum terminale is a slender flexible connector that attaches the bottom of the spinal cord to a bone called the coccyx at the lower end of the vertebral column.

In tight filum terminale syndrome, the spinal cord is tightly tethered. When a person moves the spine to stretch and bend, as happens regularly during daily activities, the abnormal filum terminale cannot flex to accommodate this and the spinal cord, together with its nerves, ends up stretching instead. Over time this causes damage to the nerves, especially those arising from the lower part of the spinal cord, and symptoms arise affecting the parts of the body they supply. Pain in the lower back can occur, and a curved spine may be seen, together with deformed feet and weak legs. There can be problems with walking — the legs and feet might feel numb — with one limb growing more than the other, and bladder and bowel control may deteriorate over time.

The spinal cord is normally enclosed within membranes called meninges, which protect and cushion long nerves.
The spinal cord is normally enclosed within membranes called meninges, which protect and cushion long nerves.

Treatment of the syndrome involves a surgical operation to sever the filum terminale completely, leaving the spinal cord detached and freely suspended. The outcome of the procedure depends on how far nerve damage has already progressed, but generally the symptoms are prevented from becoming any worse, and often they improve. Bladder symptoms are least likely to show an improvement, but often any pain in the back and legs disappears after treatment.

Discussion Comments

hamje32

@Charred - The reason that many people live with back pain or an unusually curved spine (however you want to define that) is that the body has a way of adapting.

According to this article, for example, if your filum terminale is truly out of whack, your spine will compensate. If we didn’t have this compensating mechanism, we wouldn’t live with pain as well as we do.

The body’s ability to compensate is a good thing in some situations, such as when you have lost the ability of one limb and other body members have to step in and pick up the slack.

However, with bad back pain, as you mentioned, I wouldn’t let it go on for much longer even if you feel that you’re getting by. You might be able to get it fixed and you’ll be able to live without debilitating pain and medications.

Charred

A curved spine does not always indicate a bad back condition in my opinion, and here I may get into a disagreement with those who have had more than one visit to a chiropractor and been told otherwise.

The back is meant to follow an “S” shape – it’s not meant to be straight. So the question is to determine whether the “S” shape is normal or unusually curved, in which case you’ll have to see a doctor or a chiropractor.

I would classify back pain as a more telling indicator of a problem with your back than a curved spine. I am not a doctor or a chiropractor; I’m just throwing in my two cents here. Only a doctor could tell you if the filum terminale is causing the pain.

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    • The filum terminale is a slender flexible connector that attaches the bottom of the spinal cord to a bone called the coccyx at the lower end of the vertebral column.
      By: photoBeard
      The filum terminale is a slender flexible connector that attaches the bottom of the spinal cord to a bone called the coccyx at the lower end of the vertebral column.
    • The spinal cord is normally enclosed within membranes called meninges, which protect and cushion long nerves.
      By: Vladislav Gurfinkel
      The spinal cord is normally enclosed within membranes called meninges, which protect and cushion long nerves.
    • A surgical operation may be needed to treat tight filum terminale syndrome.
      By: Monkey Business
      A surgical operation may be needed to treat tight filum terminale syndrome.
    • Symptoms of tight filum terminale syndrome may include pain in the lower back.
      By: sframe
      Symptoms of tight filum terminale syndrome may include pain in the lower back.