Cervical Spine Flashcards

1
Q

What can spondylosis lead to?

A

Disc degeneration, increased load and accelerated OA of the facet joints

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2
Q

What will patients with spondylosis of the C spine complain of?

A

Slow onset stiffness and pain in the neck which can radiate to the shoulders and occiput

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3
Q

What are the mainstay of treatment for spondylosis?

A

Physiotherapy and analgesics

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4
Q

Osteophyte compression of cervical nerve roots can cause what?

A

Radiculopathy in the upper limb myotomes and dermatomes

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5
Q

If compression of cervical nerve roots is resistant to treatment, what can be done?

A

Decompression

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6
Q

What are two causes of cervical nerve root compression?

A

Osteophytes from OA, or a prolapsed disc

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7
Q

In a nerve root compression, what will patients complain of?

A

A shooting, neuralgic pain in a dermatomal distribution and possible weakness and loss of reflexes in a myotomal distribution

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8
Q

What will aid diagnosis of the level affected by a disc prolapse?

A

Clinical findings and MRI

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9
Q

What should you always be aware of when doing an MRI for disc prolapse?

A

There are often false positives, always consider the clinical findings

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10
Q

As with lumbar spine, what surgery may be used in severe cases of disc prolapse?

A

Discectomy

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11
Q

What two conditions predispose to asymptomatic cervical spine instability?

A

Down’s syndrome and RA

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12
Q

Where is the cervical spine instability caused by RA or Down’s?

A

C1/C2

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13
Q

What is the risk of C1/C2 instability?

A

Risk of subluxation and compression of the spinal cord which can be fatal

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14
Q

How do you screen for cervical instability?

A

Flexion-extension x-rays

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15
Q

What may be prohibited in children with Down’s with minor cervical instability?

A

Contant or high impact sports

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16
Q

What causes C1/2 instability in RA?

A

Destruction of the synovial joint between the atlas and dens, and rupture of the transverse ligament

17
Q

How may less severe cases of cervical instability in RA be treated?

A

A collar to prevent friction

18
Q

How may more severe cases of cervical instability in RA be treated?

A

Surgical fusion

19
Q

Lower cervical subluxations in RA can occur as a result of what?

A

Destruction of the synovial facet joints