intervertebral vein

An intervertebral vein is a small vein that drains blood from the vertebral column and intervertebral discs. These veins pass through intervertebral foramina alongside spinal nerve roots and connect internal and external vertebral venous plexuses to the segmental veins of each region.

Intervertebral veins are located within and around the vertebral column, running through the intervertebral foramina between adjacent vertebrae. In the neck they drain into the vertebral veins, in the thorax into the posterior intercostal veins, and in the lumbar and sacral regions into the lumbar and lateral sacral veins.

Intervertebral veins drain blood from the vertebral column, intervertebral discs, and the vertebral venous plexuses. They serve as conduits connecting the internal vertebral venous plexuses within the spinal canal to the external vertebral plexuses and segmental veins outside the vertebral column.

The intervertebral veins are part of a valveless vertebral venous system that may be involved in the spread of certain infections or metastatic processes through the vertebral column. They are also relevant in the context of spinal vascular anatomy and potential bleeding during spinal surgery.

Intervertebral veins are generally too small for routine imaging but may be assessed indirectly through MR venography or CT venography in cases of suspected vascular malformation or spinal vascular pathology. They are encountered directly during spinal surgery.