Spine. Conditions

Central spinal stenosis of the cervical or thoracic regions may result in neurosensory changes at the level of the spinal stenosis or may further compress the spinal cord, resulting in myelopathy. The effects of central spinal canal stenosis may result in lower extremity weakness and gait disturbance. Read More

In the patient with spinal canal stenosis, flexion or marked hyperextension may result in further compromise of the spinal canal in the absence of a fracture. Anterior compression of the cord may result in a central spinal cord syndrome, and dorsal compression may result in a partial dorsal column syndrome. Read More

Spinal stenosis can result in significant morbidity. Severe disability and death may result from the association of cervical stenosis with even minor trauma resulting in central cord syndrome. Both upper (cervical) and lower (lumbar) spinal stenosis may result in motor weakness and chronic pain. Severe lumbar stenosis is associated with cauda equina syndrome. Read More

Secondary (acquired) stenosis arises from degenerative changes, iatrogenic causes, systemic processes, and trauma. Degenerative changes include central canal and lateral recess stenosis from posterior disk protrusion, zygapophyseal joint and ligamentum flavum hypertrophy, and spondylolisthesis. Iatrogenic changes happen after following surgical procedures such as laminectomy, fusion, and discectomy. Systemic processes that may be involved in secondary […] Read More

Dynamic foraminal stenosis implies intermittent lumbar extension-provoked nerve root impingement, osteophytosis, and vertebral body slippage. Such dynamic stenosis with associated intermittent position-dependent symptoms may not manifest on imaging studies, thereby confounding diagnosis. Other factors promoting the development of LSS include shortened gestational age and synovial facet joint cysts with resulting radicular compression. Adult degenerative scoliosis, […] Read More

Lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS) implies spinal canal narrowing with possible subsequent neural compression. Although the disorder often results from acquired degenerative changes (spondylosis), spinal stenosis may also be congenital in nature. In some cases, the patient has acquired degenerative changes that augment a congenitally narrow canal. The canal components that contribute to acquired stenosis include […] Read More

Spinal stenosis (progressive narrowing of the spinal canal) is a part of the aging process, and predicting who will be affected is not possible. No clear correlation is noted between the symptoms of stenosis and race, occupation, sex, or body type. Treatment of spinal stenosis can be conservative or surgical. While the degenerative process can […] Read More

Information about scoliosis continues to change. For instance, years ago, the accepted teaching was that once you reach adulthood, the curves become static and do not progress. For most patients, scoliosis does not progress. However, there’s a subgroup of individuals where the curve continues to progress in adulthood. There’s been an evolution in what is […] Read More

The incidence of scoliosis in men and women occurs almost evenly. However, if a female has scoliosis as an adolescent or young adult, the progression rate will occur seven to eight times more frequently. Unfortunately, we don’t understand yet what issues cause that differential progression. Read More

The vast majority of patients with scoliosis fall under the category of idiopathic scoliosis. That means, simply, we don’t know what causes it. We don’t have unified field theories that tell us the mechanism. However, there are those cases that are neurological, where there’s some kind of spinal cord or brain injury, cerebral palsy, poliomyelitis […] Read More