ISSN:
1432-1920
Keywords:
CT myelography
;
Laminectomy
;
Laminoplastic surgery
;
Myelopathy
;
Postoperative spinal deformity
;
Spinal cord dynamics
;
Suspension laminotomy
Source:
Springer Online Journal Archives 1860-2000
Topics:
Medicine
Notes:
Summary The antero-posterior movement of the spinal cord with flexion and extension of the neck was analyzed in order to clarify the mechanism of spinal cord compression in cases with postoperative spinal deformity, and to contribute to the improvement of the surgical methods of conventional laminectomy. The control subjects were 47 cases without cervico-thoracic neurological symptoms, who underwent CT myelography in flexion and extension of the neck; the cervical spinal cord was examined in 27 of these cases and the thoracic cord in the other 20. CT myelography was also carried out in 16 patients with cervical myelopathy and in 5 patients after posterior decompression surgery (suspension laminotomy). CT sections in flexion and extension of the neck were analyzed for 1) change of configuration of the dura mater and the spinal cord, and 2) antero-posterior shift of the spinal cord in the subarachnoid space. In the control subjects, the configuration of the dura mater was slightly flattened at C5/6, C6 and C6/7 in extension of the neck. The cervical spinal cord shifted anteriorly in flexion and posteriorly in extension of the neck, and was flattened at the midcervical level in flexion in the control subjects. There was a statistically significant correlation between the location of the spinal cord and the adjacent intervertebral angles at the levels of C4, C5 and C6. These results were compared with the results from the 16 patients with cervical myelopathy and 5 patients after suspension laminotomy. The thoracic spinal cord shifted anteriorly in neck flexion and posteriorly in extension, especially at upper thoracic level. In order to avoid spinal cord compression due to anterior shift of the spinal cord caused by postoperative kyphosis, it is necessary to employ the surgical method which can prevent postoperative kyphotic deformity.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/BF00339697
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