What it means
Short for dura mater, Latin for "tough mother". It is the outermost and strongest of the three meningesmuh-NIN-jeezThe three thin layers of tissue that cover and protect the brain and spinal cord.mening/o membraneFull entry . The space just outside it in the spine is the epidural space, where epidural anesthesiaep-ih-DOOR-ul an-us-THEE-zhuhPain relief or numbness from an anesthetic drug given through a thin catheter into the space just outside the covering of the spinal cord.epi- upon, overdur/o dura (the tough covering of the spinal cord)-al relating toFull entry is given; bleeding just under it is a subduralsub-DOOR-ulLocated beneath the dura, the tough outer membrane covering the brain and spinal cord.sub- underdur dura-al relating toFull entry hematoma. A tear in the dura can leak spinal fluid and cause a headache that is worse when sitting up.
Related terms
spinal cord
The long bundle of nerves that runs down through the backbone and carries messages between the brain and the body.
epidural anesthesia
Pain relief or numbness from an anesthetic drug given through a thin catheter into the space just outside the covering of the spinal cord.
meninges
The three thin layers of tissue that cover and protect the brain and spinal cord.
subdural
Located beneath the dura, the tough outer membrane covering the brain and spinal cord.