
Spine Disorders
TERMINOLOGY
INTRODUCTION Myelopathy is a general term that refers to a disorder or disease, which compromises the spinal cord. The term myelopathy is also used to describe any neurological deficit related to the spinal cord itself. Myelopathy is very different from radiculopathy (nerve root) compromise, which is caused by isolated compromise of individual spinal nerve roots. The most frequent cause of myelopathy is compression of
the spinal cord by osteophyte or extruded disc material in the cervical spine. Myelopathy does not
commonly occur with low back pain because the spinal cord normally ends at the
approximate level of the 12 thoracic or 1st lumbar vertebral body after which
point only descending nerve roots occupy the spinal canal. The spinal cord does
not occur the spinal canal in the lower portion of the low back (lumbar
region). PREVALENCE The general prevalence of
myelopathy has not been well established due to the numerous causes. Most cases
of myelopathy due not involve an isolated injury, but represent gradual
compression of the spinal cord secondary to spinal stenosis or a lesion such as
a tumor. The prevalence of spinal cord injury (SCI) is not well known in many large
countries. In some countries, such as Sweden and Iceland, registries are
available. About 259,000 people in the United States live with spinal cord
injury, and there are about 12,000 new spinal cord injuries every year. The
majority of spinal cord injuries (~80%) involve males between the ages of 16-40
and result from motor vehicle accidents (42%), violence, (27%), falls, (15%),
or sports related 7%. Although these numbers and precentages change year by
year, it is clear that SCI prdominately involves young males. Statistics for
SCI in veterans also changes year by year depending on the level of
American troop combat. |