Spinal Cord Compression and Cervical Spondylosis Flashcards
What happens when the spinothalamic tract is affected??
loss of pain, temperature and crude touch sensation - CONTRALATERAL side of lesion
What happens when the dorsal columns are affected?
loss of fine touch, proprioception and vibration sensation - IPSILATERAL
What happens when the corticospinal tract is affected?
UMN - increased tone, hyperreflexia, weakness in muscle groups
LMN - decreased tone, wasting, weakness in individual muscles
What is Brown Sequard syndrome?
cord hemisection
What symptoms do you get in Brown Sequard syndrome?
ipsilateral UMN symptoms, ipsilateral dorsal column symptoms,
contralateral spinothalamic symptoms
What is central cord syndrome?
hyeprflexion/extension injury to already stenotic neck
What symptoms do you get in central cord syndrome?
distal upper limb weakness
cape like spinothalamic sensory loss
lower limb power preserved, dorsal columns preserved
What can cause spinal cord compression?
trauma tumours infection spontaneous haemorrhage degenerative disease e.g. spondylosis RA
How is spinal cord compression diagnosed?
MRI
How is it treated?
surgery
- laminectomy
- laminoplasty
What is cervical spondylosis?
osteoarthritis of spine
degenerative cervical spine disease
What happens to the spine in cervical spondylosis?
degeneration of annulus fibrosis of cervical intervertebral discs
osteophytes
- narrows spinal canal and intervertebral foramina
What are signs of cord compression?
spastic leg weakness weak clumsy hands numbness in hands 'heavy legs' foot drop incontinence, hesitancy and urgency
What are signs and symptoms of cervical spondylosis?
limited, painful neck movement
crepitus
stabbing or dull arm pain
(radiculopathy)
What is radiculopathy?
root compression
