Cervical Spine Disc Disease & Cervical Myelopathy
Categorization By Odom et al
|
|
Unilateral soft disc protrusion |
Nerve root compression /radiculopathy |
Osteophytes /hard disc |
Nerve root compression /radiculopathy |
Medial soft disc protrusion |
Spinal Cord compression / myelopathy |
Cervical spondylosis |
Spinal Cord compression/ myelopathy |
Cervical Radiculopathy
Definition
A condition caused by compression of a nerve root in the cervical spine
Incidence
Annual incidence is 83.2 per 100000 population (reported in 1994 by Radhakishran, Minnesota, 1994)
Age - Not common in under 30s. Most common in 40s and 50s. Cervical degeneration tends to begin 10 years later than lumbar spine degeneration
Sex - F:M = 3:2
Pathology
-
Lateral Disc herniation approx. 50% (soft disc)
-
Osteophyte formation in Lushka (intervertebral body joint or facet joint approx. 50% (hard disc)
-
Only 5% also have developmental spinal stenosis (AP diameter of spinal canal of 12mm or less)
-
Compression occurs mostly at the entrance or just medial to the foramen where the nerve roots pass ventrally to the superomedial edge of the superior articular process. Occasionally a herniated disc will migrate into the intervertebral foramen
-
Frequency of nerve root compressed C7>C6>C8>C5

This is a preview of the site content. To view the full text for this site, you need to log in. If you are having problems logging in, please refer to the login help page.
|