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Tethered spinal cord can be caused by various conditions but the main cause is when tissue attachments limit the movement of the spinal cord in the spinal column which causes abnormal stretching of the cord. The tethered spinal cord syndrome is correlated with having the causes: [10] Spina bifida. Occulta; Mylomeningocele; Meningocele
It is frequently co-morbid with atlanto-axial joint instability, Chiari malformation, [3] or tethered spinal cord syndrome. The condition can be brought on by physical trauma , including whiplash , laxity of the ligaments surrounding the joint, or other damage to the surrounding connective tissue.
In adults, surgery to free (detether) the spinal cord can reduce the size and further development of cysts in the cord and may restore some function or alleviate other symptoms. Tethered Cord Syndrome is causally linked to Chiari Malformation and any affirmative diagnosis of TCS must be followed by screening for Chiari's several degrees.
For those children with spinal cord diseases, lumbar puncture may damage the spinal cord due to possibility of tethered spinal cord syndrome where the spinal cord is located below than the usual spinal termination level. [3] Therefore, lumbar puncture should be done at the lowest position as possible for such cases. However, spinal cord injury ...
Diagnosis is made through a combination of patient history, neurological examination, and medical imaging. [23] [24] Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is considered the preferred imaging modality for Chiari malformation. [25] The MRI visualizes neural tissue such as the cerebellar tonsils and spinal cord as well as bone and other soft tissues.
Neurological symptoms are nonspecific, indistinguishable from other causes of cord tethering. The symptoms are caused by tissue attachments that limit the movement of the spinal cord within the spinal column. These attachments cause an abnormal stretching of the spinal cord. [citation needed] The course of the disorder is progressive.
Depending on the extent of the spinal cord injury, the symptoms may vary. [7] Though every case is different, several cases reported loss of motor functions in the extremities, areflexia or sudden jerks of the limbs, loss of pain perception, or even paralysis; all of which are possible indicators of a damaged and softened spinal cord. [7]
The most common causes of cord compression are tumors, but abscesses and granulomas (e.g. in tuberculosis) are equally capable of producing the syndrome. Tumors that commonly cause cord compression are lung cancer (non-small cell type), breast cancer, prostate cancer, renal cell carcinoma, thyroid cancer, lymphoma and multiple myeloma.