Role of Decompression in Late Presentation of Cervical Spinal Cord Disorders

Study DesignProspective study conducted at Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College, Datta Meghe Institute of Medical Sciences, Wardha, India.PurposeTo show the efficacy of decompression in the late presentation of cervical spinal cord disorders.Overview of LiteratureStudies by various authors have shown that early spinal decompression results in better neurological outcomes.MethodsFrom January 2003 to January 2005, 11 of the 41 patients with cervical spinal cord compression, meeting the inclusion criteria, underwent anterior decompression; interbody graft placement and stabilization by anterior cervical locking plate. The neurologic and functional outcomes were recorded.ResultsFive patients had spinal cord injury and 6 patients had compressive cervical myelopathy. Complications included 1 death and 1 plate loosening. No patient lost their preoperative neurological status. One patient had no improvement, 2 patients showed full recovery. The mean follow-up is 28.3 month. At the of rehabilitation, 6 were able to walk without support), 2 could walk with support, and 1 needed a wheelchair. The average American Spinal Injury Association motor score on admission to the hospital, 32.8 (standard deviation [SD], 30.5); admission to rehabilitation, 38.6 (SD, 32.4); discharge from rehabilitation, 46.2 (SD, 33.7). The most recent follow-up was 64.0 (SD, 35.3).ConclusionsThe anterior approach for cervical decompression allows for adequate decompression. This decompression is the best chance offered in even late reported cases, including posttraumatic cases where there is no evidence of cord transactions. The use of anterior cervical plates reduces the chances of graft loosening, extruding, or collapsing

Osteoid osteoma of the femur: masquerading the tethered cord syndrome

We present an illustrative case of osteoid osteoma of the femur, in an 11 year old male child where the clinical features were masquerading the diagnosis of tethered cord syndrome and lead to the delay in diagnosis

Primary Ewing's sarcoma of the frontal bone with intracranial extension

Primary Ewing′s sarcoma arising from the skull is extremely rare. We report a case of an 11-year-old male child with primary Ewing′s sarcoma of the frontal bone with intracranial extension. We also discuss the imaging and intraoperative findings and describe our use of a split calvarial graft in the present case