Cervical and Thoracic Spine COPY Flashcards
- Where do you most commonly get degeneration in the spine?
- You also commonly get what here?
- Uncovertebreal region in which degeneration occurs.
- This is where you get the osteophytes.
What are the lines pointing to?
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- Nerve root exits above the pedicle with what number in the cervical spine?
- C8 root exits above the ____ pedicle?
- Nerve root exits below the pedicle with what number in the thoracic and lumbar spine?
- the same
- T1
- the same
Do we become more kyphotic or lordotic as we age?
Life is a kyphosing event. We lose lordosis.
Axial Pain Generator
Pain fibers located where?
5
- Annulus
- Joint – uncovertebral, facet
- Ligaments
- Periosteum
- Muscle/Fascia
Radicular Pain Generator
- Nerve root mediated how? 2
- Quality? 3
- Associated with what? 2
1.
- Compression
- Chemical/ inflammatory
2.
- Dermatomal sharp pain,
- numbness,
- parasthesia
3.
- weakness,
- hyporeflexia
- What is Referred Pain?
- Cause?
- Quality?
- Associated with?
- Axial or external pain localized to a site remote from location of nocioceptors
- Probable activation of contiguous cerebral cortex
- Dull, achy, nondermatomal pain
- Associated with axial pain
What areas are the following nerve roots associated with:
- C2-C3?
- C3-4?
- C 4-5?
- C 5-6?
- C6-7?
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Pathophysiology/ Normal Aging
- Normal aging results in a degenerative cascade that may result in a what?
- what triggers the degenerative cascade?
- pathologic state
- Intervertebral disc biologic aging
Intervertebral Disc
- _______ is metabolically active, hydrostatic proteoglycans, shock absorber effect?
- Nucleus is vascular in childhood via what?
- Beginning at adolescence nutrition is via _______ only
- ___________ degenerate, loose H2O content(dehydrate)
- Alters biomechanical properties of the disc and the motion segment – loss of what?
- Nucleus
- annular arteries
- diffusion
- Proteoglycans
- shock absorber
- What happens to the quality of the disc as you age? 2
- There is also increased strain on the annulus? 3
1.
- Disc dehydration,
- disc narrowing
2. Increase strain on annulus - Diffuse bulging annulus
- Annulur tears
- Focal disc herniation
Normal Aging
- Stress transfer to where? 2
- What does this lead to? 2
1.
- uncovertebral
- facet joints
2.
- Arthrosis (bone spurs), stiffness
- Instability
Pathological States
DDx for Axial neck pain? 4
- Facet , uncovertebral joint arthritis
- Loss of lordosis resulting in muscular pain
- Instability
- Discogenic pain
- What is radiculopathy?
- Examples? 2
- What is myelopathy?
- Examples? 3
- Radiculopathy – pressure related nerve root disfunction (peripheral nerves)
2.
- Disc herniation
- Uncovertebral, facet joint spurs
3. Myelopathy – pressure related spinal cord disfunction (cord)
4.
- Large disc herniation
- Spurs
- Congenitally narrow canal
Which nerve roots are involved with the following Disc Space levels:
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In lumbar spine the nerve part that is injured is which part of the nerve?
transverse portion/nerve that’s getting ready to exit
- For palpation on PE what bones do you want to make sure to palpate for the spine? 4
- Muscles? 4
- Bones –
- occiput,
- spinous processes,
- scapula,
- ribs - Muslces-
- paraspinal,
- trapezius,
- scapular elevators,
- sternocleidomastoid
Neurologic Exam
Motor Levels
What do the following do:
C5? 2
C6? 2
C7? 1
C8? 1
T1? 1
C5: deltoid shoulder, external rotators
C6: wrist extension, pronator teres
C7: triceps
C8: finger flexors
T1: interosseous
Neuro Exam
Describe the 5 levels of the Motor Scale
Motor Scale
5/5 normal
4/5 weak
3/5 > gravity- can bring arm up against gravity
2/5 less than gravity- can move side ways but not up and down
1/5 trace- twicth
0/5 absent
Some people may lose a lot more strength without noticing. Weakness of the phyiscal exam
For sensation on the spinal exam what should we test? 4
- Light touch
- Pin prick
- Vibration
- Temperature
DTR
Levels
- C5?
- C6?
- C7?
- If they are Hyporeflexic think?
- If they are Hyperreflexic think?
- biceps
- brachioradialis
- triceps
- – root lesion- radiculopathy
- – cord lesion- myopathy
Describe the C5 motor function, reflex and sensation
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Describe the C6 motor function, reflex and sensation
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Describe the C7 motor function, reflex and sensation
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Describe the C8 motor function, reflex and sensation
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Describe the T1 motor function, reflex and sensation
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Physical Exam
Long tract signs? 5
- Hyperreflexia
- Clonus
- Spasticity, increase tone
- Gait, coordination, rectal tone
- Hoffman(UE), Babinski(LE)
Hoffman is an abnormal reflex- may have a myopathy
Physical Exam
Provacative Tests
3
- Spurlings – ipsilateral lateral bending + extension
- Reverse Spurlings – contralateral bending
- L’Hermitte
PE: Associated Systems? 6
- Vascular
- Cranial nerves
- Shoulder and other UE joints
- Peripheral nerves
- Lymphatic
- Pulmonary
What does the adson test indicate?
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Axial DD:
- Spinal? 3
- Soft Tissue? 2
- Tumor/Infection? 2
- Inflammatory? 1
- Spinal
- Bone: fracture, instability
- Disc: degeneration, central HNP
- Joint: arthritis, instability - Soft tissue: sprain, fibromyalgia
- Tumor/Infection: primary, metastatic
- Inflammatory: R.A.
Axial Diagnostics Tests:
- Spinal
- bone? 2
- disc? 3
- Joints? 3 - Soft tissue? 2
- Tumor infection? 3
- Inflammatory? 1
- Spinal
- Bone: x-ray, bone scan
- Disc: MRI, myelo/CT, discography
- Joints: bone scan, F/E x-rays, facet injection - Soft Tissues: MRI, diagnosis of exclusion
- Tumor/Infection: labs, bone scan, MRI
- Inflammatory: labs
Tx Basics:
- Non-operative? 6
- Operative?
- Non - operative
- PT,
- NSAID,
- narcotics,
- MR,
- education, activity modification, reassurance
- Pain management: injection, RFA, - Operative
Fusion
Differential Diagnosis
Extremity pain:
- Nerve Root (radiculopathy)? 6
- Spinal Cord (myelopathy)? 9
- Peripheral Nerves? 4
- Joints? 3
1.
- HNP,
- spondylosis,
- instability,
- tumor,
- infection,
- fracture
2.
- HNP,
- stenosis,
- instability,
- cord lesions,
- medical,
- trauma,
- tumor,
- syrinx,
- CNS
3.
- entrapment,
- neuropathy,
- plexopathy,
- RSD
4.
- rotator cuff,
- tennis
- elbow
Dx tests
Extremity
- Nerve root? 4
- Spinal cord? 3
- Peripheral nerves? 1
- Joints? 1
- Nerve Root:
- MRI,
- myelo/CT,
- EMG,
- SNRB - Spinal Cord:
- MRI,
- myelo/CT,
- SSEP - Peripheral Nerves:
- NCV - Joints:
- orthopedic evaluation
Tx Basics
Extremity
- Nonoperative? 6
- Operative? 1
- Non - operative
- NSAID,
- narcotics,
- steroid injection,
- traction,
- collar
- Myelopathy: more urgent W/U - Operative
- Decompression +/- fusion