Details of Myelopathy

It is a condition of loss of spinal cord activity on account of decay and degeneration of the spine.

Types:

Lumbar myelopathy: It occurs when the spinal cord is short and does not reach to the lumbar spine.

Cervical myelopathy: Which generally occurs in the main neck area.

Thoracic myelopathy: It is found in middle area of the spine when the spinal cord is compressed because of herniated disk, bulging and the bone spurs.

May include:

• Shoulder pain
• Difficult writing
• Issues with sexual functioning
• Weakness and fatigue
• Bladder issues
• Heavy legs
• Sensation in legs
• weakness in muscle
• Pain with neck movements

May include:

• Electromyogram
• Physical exam
• Imaging tests like MRI, CT scan and X-rays

During the surgery, an incision is made in the diseased area of neck to perform a spinal fusion using a bone graft to fuse the vertebrae together. And if procedure is big, a cage may be used with screws and rods. After that the incision is sutured and dressed up for healing.

May include:

• Infection
• Bleeding
• Nerve injury
• Breathlessness
• Damage to the vertebral artery
• Spinal injury
• Graft rejection