SINCE 1828
cauda equina
noun
cauda equi·na
| \ -ek-ˈwē-nə
, -ē-ˈkwī-nə
\
, -ē-ˈkwī-nə
\
plural caudae equinae\ -ek-ˈwē-ˌnī, -ē-ˈkwī-ˌnē
\
\
Medical Definition of cauda equina
: the roots of the spinal nerves that extend beyond the termination of the spinal cord at the first lumbar vertebra in the form of a bundle of filaments within the vertebral canal resembling a horse's tail
From its tip at the base of the spine, about 20 stringy nerves—called the cauda equina, or horse's tail—travel downward within a fluid-filled sac.— Bruce H. Dobkin, Discover, November 1996
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