Back And Spinal Cord Clinical Problems

Front 1

backache and back pain

Back 1

pain in the back, if an injured person complains of back pain and is unable to move the limbs, the vertebral column may be fractured

Front 2

laminectomy

Back 2

excision of one or more spinous processes and the adjacent vertebral laminae, removal of the vertebral arch by transecting the pedicles, allows for access to the vertebral canal and spinal cord (or conus medullaris or cauda equina), used to relieve pressure on the spinal cord or nerve roots caused by a tumor, herniated disc or bone hypertrophy

Front 3

dislocation of the cervical vertebrae

Back 3

can be dislocated easier than other vertebrae bec. of horizontal articular facets, slight dislocation can occur w/o damaging spinal cord (bec. of large vertebral canal in cervical region)

Front 4

fracture and dislocation of the atlas

Back 4

vertical forces can cause fracture in the atlas, if fierce enough will cause the transverse ligament to rupture (called Jefferson or burst fracture)

Front 5

fracture and dislocation of the axis

Back 5

one of the most common injuries of the cervical vertebrae, usually occurs in the column formed by the superior and inferior articular facets

Front 6

traumatic spondylolysis of C2

Back 6

occurs as a result of hyperextesion of the head on the neck (similar to hanging)

Front 7

quadriplegia

Back 7

paralysis of all four limbs

Front 8

fracture of the dens

Back 8

may result from a horizontal blow to the head or loss of bone mass (osteopenia)

Front 9

T12 vertebrae

Back 9

most commonly fractured vertebrae

Front 10

lumar spinal stenosis

Back 10

narrow vertebral foramen in one or more lumbar vertebrae, may be hereditary, makes a person more vulnerable to age-related degenerative changes such as IV disc bulging, , may cause compression of one or more of the spinal nerve roots

Front 11

cervical ribs

Back 11

developmental costal element of C7 becomes enlarged, the extra rib may elevate and place pressure on structures that emerge from the superior thoracic aperture, may be a cause of thoracic outlet syndrome

Front 12

spina bifida occulta

Back 12

laminae of L5 fail to develop normally and fuse posterior to the vertebral canal, not associated with back problems though

Front 13

spina bifida cystica

Back 13

one or more vertebral arches fail to develop completely, associated with herniation of the meninges and/or spinal cord, surological symptoms are present (paralysis of limbs, disturbance in bladder)

Front 14

neural tube defects

Back 14

closure of the neural tube during the 4th week of embryonic development

Front 15

variations in vertebrae

Back 15

usually excess in males and shortage in females

Front 16

aging of the IV Discs

Back 16

nuclei pulposi dehydrate and lose elastin and gain collagen, become stiffer and more resistant to deformation, nucleus pulposis and annulus fibrosis begin to merge

Front 17

herniation (or pertrusion) of the nucleus pulposis

Back 17

can occur where there is excessive pressure on the disc, usually occur in a posterlateral direction, posterior longitudinal ligament prevents the polposis from going straight back to protect equina and spinal cord, in a herniation, the spinal nerve hit is the one below the number, cause of low back and low limb pain (localized)

Front 18

fracture of the dens

Back 18

40% of axis fractures, most commonly fractured at the base, often do not reunite bec. the transverse ligament of the atlas becomes interposed between fragments and bec. the separated fragment no longer has a blood supply, resulting in avascular necrosis, also common to have fracture of the vertebral body inferior to the dens (these heal more readily bec. it still has vascular supply)

Front 19

rupture of the transverse ligament of the atlas

Back 19

sets dens free, more likely to cause spinal cord compression than that resulting from fracture of the dens, explains why some patients with anterior displacement of the atlas may be relatively asymptomatic until a large degree of movement occurs

Front 20

crush or compression fracture

Back 20

occurs at the body of the vertebrae, caused by sudden forcefull flexion

Front 21

hyperextension injury of the neck

Back 21

sudden, forceful extension of the neck, likely to injure posterior parts of the vertebrae, also occurs from whiplash, causes sever stretching or tearing in the anterior longitudinal ligament

Front 22

compression of the lumbar spinal nerve roots

Back 22

lumbar spinal nerves INC in size from superior to inferior while the IV foramina decrease, this causes an increase in the chance that these nerve roots will be compressed if herniation of the nucleus pulposis occurs

Front 23

lumbar spinal puncture (spinal tap)

Back 23

the extraction or sampling of CSF from the lumbar cistern, used in evaluating CNS disorders, patient flexes vertebral column to allow insertion of a needle between lamina and spinous process, puncture dura mater and arachnoid mater

Front 24

meningitis

Back 24

may alter the cells in the CSF or change the concentration of its chemical constituents

Front 25

spinal block

Back 25

insertion of anesthesia into the CSF

Front 26

epdirual block

Back 26

anesthesia is injected into the epidural space

Front 27

ischemia of the spinal cord

Back 27

fractures or dislocations may interfere with the blood supply to the spinal cord, deficiency of blood supply (ischemia) affects its fxn and can lead to muscle weakness and paralysis

Front 28

lumbar spondylosis

Back 28

degenerative joint disease that causes localized pain and stiffness

Front 29

back sprain

Back 29

an injury in which only ligamentous tissue is involved

Front 30

back strain

Back 30

results from overly strong muscular contraction, involves some degree of stretching or microscopic tearing of muscle fibers

Front 31

back spasm

Back 31

sudden involuntary contraction of one or more muscle groups

Front 32

arteriosclerosis

Back 32

blood flow through cervical vertebral arteries is reduced, prolonged turning of the head may cause light-headedness or dizziness

Front 33

spondylolysis

Back 33

stress fracture of pars interarticularis, can be caused by repeated stress to the spine, bilateral spondylolysis can cause spondylolithesis

Front 34

anterior spinal artery syndrome

Back 34

blockage of anterior spinal artery