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AnatomyNeuroanatomyPathways of the nervous systemLateral corticospinal tract
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AnatomyNeuroanatomyPathways of the nervous systemLateral corticospinal tract

Lateral corticospinal tract

Author: Danijel Tosovic, PhD • Reviewer: Dimitrios Mytilinaios, MD, PhD
Last reviewed: March 28, 2024
Reading time: 1 minute

Recommended video: Pyramidal tracts [17:43]
The most important motor pathways of the CNS.
Lateral corticospinal tract
Tractus corticospinalis lateralis
1/3
Synonyms: crossed pyramidal tract, lateral cerebrospinal fasciculus , show more...

The lateral corticospinal tract is one of the two divisions of the corticospinal pathway and is the largest descending motor pathway in the body. The lateral corticospinal tract is responsible for the voluntary movement of the contralateral upper and lower limbs.

The upper motor neurons, the giant pyramidal cells (of Betz), descend from the primary motor cortex until the medulla oblongata, where 75-90% of them decussate (pyramidal decussation), forming the lateral corticospinal tract. The tract fibers then continue caudally through the lateral funiculus of the spinal cord, synapsing with lower motor neurons in the anterior grey horn on the same side. These lower motor neurons exit the spinal cord through the ventral roots to form peripheral nerves which innervate the skeletal muscles of upper and lower limbs.

Terminology English: Lateral corticospinal tract
Latin: Tractus corticospinalis lateralis
Definition Descending motor pathway travelling responsible for voluntary movement of upper and lower limb muscles
Origin V layer of the cerebral cortex

Learn more about the pyramidal tracts with this study unit (and article):

Pyramidal tracts Explore study unit
Corticonuclear and corticospinal tracts Read article

Sources

All content published on Kenhub is reviewed by medical and anatomy experts. The information we provide is grounded on academic literature and peer-reviewed research. Kenhub does not provide medical advice. You can learn more about our content creation and review standards by reading our content quality guidelines.
  • Amerman, E. (2015). Human Anatomy and Physiology (global ed.). England: Pearson Education Limited.
  • Standring, S. (2016). Gray's Anatomy (41st ed.). Edinburgh: Elsevier Churchill Livingstone.

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