Disease of Spinal Cord Flashcards
what is a myelopathy ?
upper motor neuron disorder
what is radicuopathy?
lower motor neurone disorder
where abouts is the corticospinal tract in the spinal cord?
lateral column
what is myelitis ?
inflammation of the upper motor neurones
what is radiculopathy ?
disease of the spinal roots
what is Myeloradiculopathy ?
when the upper motor neurones and the spinal roots are diseases ?
what are the two main categories of myelopathy and radiculopathy?
- medical (intrinsic)
2. surgical (extrinsic)
give some examples of medical causes of myelopathy and radiculopathy
- Inflammation
- Infarction
- Infiltration
- Infection
- Degenerative
give some examples of surgical causes of myelopathy and radiculopathy
- tumour
- vascular abnormalities
- degenerative
- trauma
state some causes of vascular abnormalities which can cause spinal cord and spinal root disorders?
haemorrhage
dural fistula
AVM (arteriovenous malformation)
what are some upper motor neurone disease signs ?
- no wasting
- increased tone
- increased reflexes
- Pyramidal pattern of weakness
what is Pyramidal pattern of weakness?
A pattern of weakness in the extensors (upper limbs) or flexors (lower limbs)
what are some lower motor neurone disease signs?
- decreased tone
- decreased reflexes
- muscle weakness
what is the pattern of the sensory loss due to radicuopathy?
dermatomal pattern
what is brown-Sequard Syndrome?
ipsilateral upper motor neuron paralysis and loss of proprioception, as well as contralateral loss of pain and temperature sensation
state some causes of myelopathy ?
- demyelination
- ischaemia
- transverse myelitis
- neurodegenerative
- B12 deficiency
- infective
- inflammatory
are spinal tracts laminated ?
yes
what does it mean that spinal tracts are laminated?
that the spinal tracts are in different layers of the different spinal root groups
- cervical
- thoracic
- lumbar
- sacral
what fibres travel up the spinothalamic tract ?
nociception
temperature
what fibres travel up the dorsal columns ?
proprioception and vibrations
What would occur to the - C5 innervated muscles - tone - reflexes - power - sensation if there was a C5 cord lesion?
C5 innervated muscles = wasted
tone = increased in lower limbs
reflexes = decreased in biceps, increased in lower limbs
power = decreased in C5 muscles, pyramidal pattern below
sensation = below C5
is the anterior or posterior part of the spinal cord more affected by strokes?
anterior
how many arteries supply the anterior 2/3rds of the spinal cord?
one artery
- the anterior spinal artery
how many arteries supply the posterior 1/3rd of the spinal cord?
2 arteries
- posterior spinal arteries
why is the anterior of the spinal cord more prone to strokes?
because only one artery supplies that area so there is less blood supply compared to the posterior so ischaemia is more likely