Response: A central canal is defined in the opening of the discussion section (lines 196 – 199) as ‘The central canal is an ependymal lined structure in the spinal cord that extends inferiorly from the fourth ventricle to the conus medullaris. Anatomical studies suggest the central canal is only seen in fetal and new born spinal cords and undergoes age related stenosis such that it is obliterat...

BACKGROUND This study examined the relationship between four radiological parameters (Pavlov's ratio, sagittal diameter, spinal cord area, and spinal canal area) in patients with a traumatic cervical spine injury, as well as the correlation between these parameters and the neurological outcome. METHODS A total of 212 cervical spinal levels in 53 patients with a distractive-extension injury we...

BACKGROUND The sagittal diameter of the cervical spinal canal is of clinical importance in traumatic, degenerative, and inflammatory conditions. A small canal diameter has been associated with an increased risk of injury; however, there is a lack of reliable normative data on spinal canal diameters in different age groups in the United States population. The purpose of this study was to use dir...

BACKGROUND Percutaneous kyphoplasty (PKP) has been proven as an effective, minimally invasive procedure for the treatment of Kummell's disease in the early stages. However, a risk of cement leakage and further neurological damage remains during and after PKP, especially in chronic osteoporotic stage III Kummell's disease with severe spinal canal stenosis. OBJECTIVE To evaluate the feasibility...

BACKGROUND The symptom severity of back pain/leg pain is not correlated with the severity of degenerative changes and canal stenosis in lumbar stenosis. Considering the individual pain sensitivity might play an important role in pain perception, this discordance between the radiologic findings and clinical symptoms in degenerative lumbar stenosis might originate from the individual difference o...

The redundant nerve root syndrome is defined as the association of high-grade extradural lumbar spinal stenosis with large, elongated and tortuous nerve roots. Acquired elongation of nerve roots due to the mechanical trapping at the level of lumbar spinal stenosis is assumed to be the possible mechanism. It is believed that the cause is a squeezing force due to the chronic compression. The most...

Spinal stenosis is a term that means narrowing of the spinal canal or the nerve root foramina. It is thus divided into central or lateral stenosis. Central stenosis produces compression of the thecal sac: soft tissue (ligamentum flavum and disc) may contribute as much as 40% to this compression. It is more common in males because their spinal canal is smaller at the L3-L5 level. Lateral stenosi...

Developmental stenosis without any significant spondylotic changes frequently occurs at C3 vertebra or below, and typically extends to C6-C7. However, high cervical focal canal stenosis is unusual. A case of cervical canal segmental stenosis at C2-3 level in addition to a developmental stenosis of the lumbar region, in a 45 year old male, has been presented in this article. The dynamics of the ...

An 89 year old gentleman awaiting surgery for carcinoma of caecum presented with sudden back pain and developed foot drop two weeks later. MRI revealed multiple spinal metastases with a cyst in the canal at L4/5 causing spinal canal stenosis. Surgery revealed a juxta articular synovial cyst with haemorrhage in it. We discuss the presentation and management of juxtarticular cysts with a review o...