Cervical Spine Study Guide All Answers Rated A+
cervical stenosis ️when the spinal canal narrows & compresses the spinal cord - it most frequently caused by aging - and occurs when The discs in the spine dry out and lose disc height and possibly herniate. - this causes ligaments that make up t...
Cervical Spine Study Guide All Answers Rated A+
cervical stenosis ✔️when the spinal canal narrows & compresses the spinal cord
- it most frequently caused by aging
- and occurs when The discs in the spine dry out and lose disc height and possibly herniate.
- this causes ligaments that make up the spine to thicken, which hypertrophy
- that result in a narrowing of the spinal canal and compressing the spinal cord, myelopathy
- In addition, the degenerative changes associated with cervical stenosis can affect the vertebrae by
contributing to the growth of bone spurs that compress the nerve roots, radiculopathy
7 symptoms of cervical stenosis ✔️1. Neck or arm pain
2. Numbness and weakness in the upper extremities hands
3. Unsteady gait when walking
4. Muscle spasms in the legs
5. Loss of coordination in arms, hands, finger
6. Loss of muscle tone in arms and/or hands
7. Dropping items or loss of dexterity of hands
goal of posterior cervical procedures ✔️to relieve pressure on the nerve roots or spinal cord in the
cervical spine using a surgical approach through the back of the body.
adv and dis adv of posterior discectomy ✔️Advantages:
-Spine fusion does not NEED to be done after removing the disc
Disadvantages:
-Disc space cannot be jacked open with a bone graft to give more space to the nerve root leaving the
spine.
-Posterior approach leaves most of the disc in place = small chance of disc herniation (3-5%)
, Microdiscectomy (name of procedure, steps, and risks/complications) ✔️"Posterior Cervical
Decompression"
-This approach may be considered for a large
soft disc herniation that is located on the side of the spinal cord.
-technique that allows for decompression of multiple segments
- Steps:
1. A small vertical incision in midline of the back of the neck
2. Para-spinal muscles are elevated off the spinal level that is to be approached
3. High speed burr used to remove some of the facet joint to create key hole to identify the nerve root
beneath
4. disc herniation is removed
Possible risks and complications of a posterior approach for cervical discectomy
include:
1. Nerve root damage
2. Spinal cord damage
3. Dural leak
4. Infection
5. Bleeding
6. Continued pain
7. Recurrent disc herniation.
but in general. complications are rare
Laminoplasty and the use of a laminoplasty plate ✔️laminoplasty:
"Surgical reconstruction/repositioning of the posterior vertebral elements to increase space and
decompress the spinal cord while maintaining the posterior arch"
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