Biomaterial Database

Tethered cord syndrome. 1996

D M Marchiori, and R Firth

Palmer Research Institute, Davenport, Iowa 52803, USA.

OBJECTIVE To briefly discuss a case of tethered spinal cord syndrome, and to acquaint the reader with one of many important differential considerations among patients presenting with low back and leg pain. METHODS A 32-yr-old woman sought treatment at a private chiropractic clinic for a 6-month history of low back pain with intermittent diffuse bilateral leg pain and numbness. Plain films of the lumbar spine revealed no abnormality. Magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated a tethered spinal cord. METHODS The abbreviated filum terminale was surgically corrected. CONCLUSIONS Tethered cord syndrome, a significant finding, is likely to have been responsible for the patient's signs and symptoms. Magnetic resonance imaging is particularly helpful in evaluating spinal cord deformity, and may provide important information on patients not responding to chiropractic care.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008159	Lumbar Vertebrae	VERTEBRAE in the region of the lower BACK below the THORACIC VERTEBRAE and above the SACRAL VERTEBRAE.	Vertebrae, Lumbar
D008279	Magnetic Resonance Imaging	Non-invasive method of demonstrating internal anatomy based on the principle that atomic nuclei in a strong magnetic field absorb pulses of radiofrequency energy and emit them as radiowaves which can be reconstructed into computerized images. The concept includes proton spin tomographic techniques.	Chemical Shift Imaging,MR Tomography,MRI Scans,MRI, Functional,Magnetic Resonance Image,Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Functional,Magnetization Transfer Contrast Imaging,NMR Imaging,NMR Tomography,Tomography, NMR,Tomography, Proton Spin,fMRI,Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging,Imaging, Chemical Shift,Proton Spin Tomography,Spin Echo Imaging,Steady-State Free Precession MRI,Tomography, MR,Zeugmatography,Chemical Shift Imagings,Echo Imaging, Spin,Echo Imagings, Spin,Functional MRI,Functional MRIs,Image, Magnetic Resonance,Imaging, Magnetic Resonance,Imaging, NMR,Imaging, Spin Echo,Imagings, Chemical Shift,Imagings, Spin Echo,MRI Scan,MRIs, Functional,Magnetic Resonance Images,Resonance Image, Magnetic,Scan, MRI,Scans, MRI,Shift Imaging, Chemical,Shift Imagings, Chemical,Spin Echo Imagings,Steady State Free Precession MRI
D011859	Radiography	Examination of any part of the body for diagnostic purposes by means of X-RAYS or GAMMA RAYS, recording the image on a sensitized surface (such as photographic film).	Radiology, Diagnostic X-Ray,Roentgenography,X-Ray, Diagnostic,Diagnostic X-Ray,Diagnostic X-Ray Radiology,X-Ray Radiology, Diagnostic,Diagnostic X Ray,Diagnostic X Ray Radiology,Diagnostic X-Rays,Radiology, Diagnostic X Ray,X Ray Radiology, Diagnostic,X Ray, Diagnostic,X-Rays, Diagnostic
D003937	Diagnosis, Differential	Determination of which one of two or more diseases or conditions a patient is suffering from by systematically comparing and contrasting results of diagnostic measures.	Diagnoses, Differential,Differential Diagnoses,Differential Diagnosis
D005260	Female		Females
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000328	Adult	A person having attained full growth or maturity. Adults are of 19 through 44 years of age. For a person between 19 and 24 years of age, YOUNG ADULT is available.	Adults
D016136	Spina Bifida Occulta	A common congenital midline defect of fusion of the vertebral arch without protrusion of the spinal cord or meninges. The lesion is also covered by skin. L5 and S1 are the most common vertebrae involved. The condition may be associated with an overlying area of hyperpigmented skin, a dermal sinus, or an abnormal patch of hair. The majority of individuals with this malformation are asymptomatic although there is an increased incidence of tethered cord syndrome and lumbar SPONDYLOSIS. (From Joynt, Clinical Neurology, 1992, Ch55, p34)	Dermal Sinus,Spinal Bifida, Closed,Occult Spina Bifida,Closed Spinal Bifida,Sinus, Dermal,Spina Bifida, Occult
D017116	Low Back Pain	Acute or chronic pain in the lumbar or sacral regions, which may be associated with musculo-ligamentous SPRAINS AND STRAINS; INTERVERTEBRAL DISK DISPLACEMENT; and other conditions.	Lumbago,Low Back Ache,Low Back Pain, Mechanical,Low Back Pain, Posterior Compartment,Low Back Pain, Postural,Low Back Pain, Recurrent,Low Backache,Lower Back Pain,Mechanical Low Back Pain,Postural Low Back Pain,Recurrent Low Back Pain,Ache, Low Back,Aches, Low Back,Back Ache, Low,Back Aches, Low,Back Pain, Low,Back Pain, Lower,Back Pains, Low,Back Pains, Lower,Backache, Low,Backaches, Low,Low Back Aches,Low Back Pains,Low Backaches,Lower Back Pains,Pain, Low Back,Pain, Lower Back,Pains, Low Back,Pains, Lower Back