Anterior spinal artery

Looks like

A thin artery formed by twigs from both vertebral arteries, running down the front midline of the spinal cord its whole length.

What it does

Supplies the front two-thirds of the spinal cord, including movement pathways.

Keeping it well

Its blockage (e.g. after aortic surgery) causes sudden leg weakness with loss of pain feeling but kept touch — an emergency.

Related conditions

• High blood pressure
• High cholesterol
• Hypothermia & frostbite
• Kawasaki disease
• Metabolic syndrome
• Orthostatic hypotension & POTS
• Peripheral artery disease
• Phaeochromocytoma & hyperaldosteronism
• Pre-eclampsia
• Raynaud's phenomenon
• Sepsis
• Shock (circulatory failure)
• Takayasu arteritis
• Thoracic outlet syndrome
• Vasculitis (GCA & others)