SCI Syndromes Flashcards
List SCI Syndromes
- Anterior Cord Syndrome
- Central Cord Syndrome
- Brown-Sequard Syndrome
- Cauda Equina
- Conus Medullaris Syndrome
what is the cause and common MOIs for anterior cord syndrome?
- Causes
- damage to cord itself
- damage to anterior spinal artery
- all of the above
- Common MOI
- flexion injuries
- burst frxs
clinical presentation of anterior cord syndrome
Bilateraly loss of motor function and pain/temp below level of injury
T/F: medial lemniscus tracts are damaged with anterior cord syndrome
FALSE
they remain intact
what is the most common SCI syndrome?
central cord syndrome
9% of all traumatic SCI injuries
what is central cord syndrome?
damage to central aspect of spinal cord
occurs almost exclusively as a cervical injury
Central Cord syndrome is more common in what populations/age groups?
- Elderly → prior spondylosis or stenosis
- typically due to extension injury
- often results with relatively minor trauma, often w/o vertebral trauma
- Younger populations → flexion + compression
- +vertebral trauma
- herniated disc
clinical presentation of central cord syndrome
- UE >> LE involvement
- sparing sacral sensation, may have sparing of sacral motor
describe why central structures may be injuried with central cord syndrome
2 different hypotheses:
- severe extension moment crunches center of cord causing more necrosis
- general extension movements invovled in injury may result in specific pattern of ischemia, necrosis and edmea that doesn’t travel to the periphery
what is brown-sequard syndrome?
damage to only one side of the cord
relatively uncommon (1-4% of traumatic SCIs)
what are some potential causes of brown-sequard syndrome?
knife or gunshot wound
resulting in hemi-section or incomplete injury
clinical presentation of brown-sequard syndrome
depends on level of injury but generally:
- ipsilateral motor and dorsal column symptoms
- motor
- touch, proprioception, 2-pt discrimination
- contralateral anterolateral pathway symptoms
- pain and temperature
- ipsilateral spasticity common below level of lesion
how common is posterior cord syndrome?
extremely rare (<1% of traumatic SCIs)
cause of posterior cord syndrome
results from
- compression by disc or tumor
- PSA infarct
- vitamin B12 deficiency
clinical presentation and prognosis for posterior cord syndrome
- dorsal column lost bilaterally below level of lesion
- motor and pain/temp preserved
- prognosis → typically respond well to rehab