Congenital scoliosis is the curvature due to the imbalance of growth of the spine caused by the presence of vertebral defects. Congenital scoliosis is the most frequent congenital deformity of the spine, the two others being congenital kyphosis and congenital lordosis. The prevalence of congenital scoliosis is estimated at 1-4%. Causes and Associations Most of […]
Spine
Atlantoaxial Instability Causes and Treatment
Atlantoaxial instability implies excessive movement between the first cervical vertebra or atlas, and second cervical vertebra or axis. Atlantoaxial joint is formed between these two vertebrae This joint is a kind of transition zone and the instability may occur because of bony or ligamentous instability. The instability can be asymptomatic or cause neck pain and […]
Allen Classification of Cervical Spine Injury
Allen classification of cervical injury is also called mechanistic classification and was given by Allen and associates in 1982. The translation of kinetic energy into fractures and dislocations is determined by two independent variables Injury vector Posture of the cervical spine at the time of accident Allen et al presumed that identical segmental failures could […]
Subaxial Cervical Spine Injury Classification System or SLICS
The Subaxial Cervical Spine Injury Classification (SLIC) system is a classification system for subaxial cervical spine injury. This is one of the recommended classification systems for lower cervical injury. Not only it helps to determine the injury pattern and its severity but also it guides the treatment considerations and prognosis. The classification is similar to TLICS […]
Spinal Cord Stimulation- Concept and Use
Spinal cord stimulation or neurostimulati is a pain-relief technique that works by masking the pain signals before they reach the brain by delivering a low-voltage electrical current, by a surgically implanted device, to the spinal cord. The spinal cord stimulation device is the most commonly used implantable neurostimulation technology for management of chronic pain. They […]
Thoracolumbar Injury Classification and Severity Score or TLICS
Thoracolumbar injury classification and severity score or TLICS is a scoring system for thoracolumbar fractures which classifies and provides guidance to the treatment as well. TLICS is based on three major categories Morphology of the injury Integrity of the posterior ligamentous complex Neurologic status of the patient. Denis classification of spinal injuries which is based […]
Vertebra Prominens or Seventh Cervical Vertebra [C7]
Vertebra prominens is the common name for 7th cervical vertebra or C7, the largest and most inferior vertebra of the cervical region of the spine. It is named because it has a large spinous process that protrudes posteriorly and can be felt prominently on palpation. Vertebra prominens is easily recognized on palpation of the back of […]
Lumbosacral Plexopathy – Causes and Management
Lumbosacral plexopathy is an injury to the nerves in the lumbar or sacral plexus. Lumbosacral plexopathy can be caused by many disorders. The prevalence of lumbosacral plexopathies is unknown and is much less common than brachial plexopathies. Risk factors vary based on cause. Relevant Anatomy The lumbar and sacral plexuses together make lumbosacral plexus which […]
Transitional Vertebra Definition and Types
Transitional vertebra at any junction is characterized by features retained from two adjacent regions in the vertebral column. For example in the lumbosacral transitional vertebra, there is an L5 vertebra can become like S1 vertebra or S1 can leave the sacrum and become L6. As we know from our knowledge of the anatomy of the […]
Lumbosacral Transitional Vertebra or LSTV
Lumbosacral transitional vertebra refers to a spectrum of are congenital spinal anomalies involving L5 and adjacent vertebrae and varies from complete fusion of L5 with the sacrum, called sacralization to complete separation of S1 from the sacrum and present as L6, called lumbarization. When the L5 vertebra fuses completely to the sacrum, 4 lumbar vertebrae […]