Orthopedic Approach to Back Pain Lecture Powerpoint Flashcards
There are __ cervical vertebrae and ___ cervical nerve roots
7, 8 (remember they exit above except for C8 nerve root which exits below C7 and then T1 onward they exit below as well)
Spondylosis
2ndary degenerative changes including disc degeneration, dessication, height loss, herniation, joint degredation, ligamentous thickening and infolding, as well as deformity such as kyphosis, common finding in many by age of 40-60, typically episodic, exacerbated with extension, sees occipital headaches (cervicogenic pattern)
Most common level for spondylosis to occur? How can spondylosis be diagnosed? (2)
C5-6 most often
- MRI
- CT myelography
Recall the annulus fibrosis and nucleus pulposis
Annulus fibrosis is the outer portion of the intervertebral disk (type 1 collagen) and the nucleus pulposis (type 2 collagen) is the shock absorbing gel that is inside
What is normal space available for the spinal cord in an adult? What is considered true nerve compression?
> 17mm. <14mm
Spondylosis treatment options (6)
- NONSURGICAL first line**
- NSAIDS
- short term narcotics for acute flare such as tramadol
- facet injections
- PT/OT
- surgical treatment for instability (not for isolated neck pain, that won’t help)
Cervical radiculopathy definition
Clinical symptom of nerve root compression resulting in sensory/motor symptoms of the upper extremity caused by things such as cervical spondylosis, disc herniation, etc, typically will complain of dermatomal unilateral upper extremity pain
How would you test for C5 radiculopathy? (sensory and motor and reflex)
- The upper anterior shoulder
- Deltoid/biceps
- biceps reflex
What root is affected by posterolateral C5-6 herniation?
C6 nerve
Cervical radiculopathy treatment options (6)
- NON operative 75% of the time***
- NSAIDS
- PT
- Antidepressants or anticonvulsants for chronic neuropathic pain
- oral corticosteroids for acute flares
- gold standard surgical treatment is anterior cervical decompression and fusion (ACDF)
How would you test for C6 radiculopathy? (sensory and motor and reflex)
- the middle shoulder down the arm straight to the thumb
- Biceps/wrist extension
- brachioradialis reflex
How would you test for C7 radiculopathy? (sensory and motor and reflex)
- The posterior shoulder down the arm straight to the 2nd and 3rd digits of the hand
- Triceps/wrist flexion
- triceps reflex
How would you test for C8 radiculopathy? (sensory and motor and reflex)
- The corner of the axilla down the arm straight tot he 4th and 5th digits of the hand
- finger flexion
- no specific reflex
How would you test for T1 radiculopathy? (sensory and motor and reflex)
- The back heading toward the axilla just below the corner from where the arm leaves and the most medial aspect of the arm going down
- finger abduction
- no specific reflex
What root is affected by foraminal stenosis C5-6 hernaition?
C6 nerve
What root is affected by midlateral C5-6 herniation?
C6 or C7 if big enough
What root is affected by posterolateral C7-T1 hernation?
C8
Spurlings maneuver
Provacative test to reproduce cervical radiculopathy radicular pain pattern, maximally extend and rotate at the neck toward the involved side then apply vertical force downward