II. Findings: Symptoms and Signs

  1. See Cervical Myelopathy
  2. Neuropraxia with or without Transient Quadriplegia
    1. Mild: Motor changes (i.e. Muscle Weakness)
    2. Severe: Complete paralysis
  3. Sensory changes or Paresthesias into extremities
    1. Burning pain
    2. Numbness
    3. Tingling
    4. Loss of Sensation
  4. Neck Pain usually absent
  5. Complete recovery in most cases
    1. Early: 10-15 minutes
    2. Delayed: 36 hours

III. Causes

  1. Narrowing of cervical spinal canal
  2. Associated other predisposing factors (degenerative changes)
    1. Congenital cervical fusions
    2. Ligamentous instability
    3. Intervertebral disc disease

IV. Imaging

  1. See Cervical Myelopathy
  2. C-Spine MRI (preferred)
    1. Asymptomatic cervical stenosis with cord compression is a common incidental finding on imaging
  3. C-Spine XRay (Inaccurate)
    1. Spinal canal diameter (varies with magnification)
      1. Normal >15 mm
      2. Absolute Stenosis <10 mm
    2. Torg ratio
      1. Stenosis: < 0.8
      2. High sensitivity but poor Specificity

V. Management

VI. Management: Return to competition

  1. Contraindications to participation
    1. Disc Herniation
    2. Vertebral Fracture or dislocation
    3. Significant Congenital Anomaly
  2. Guidelines after Transient Quadriplegia
    1. Contact Sport participation indications
      1. Symptom-free
      2. No Cervical Spinal Stenosis by C-Spine MRI
      3. Patient accepts risk of future Quadriplegia
    2. Contact Sport participation contraindications
      1. True Cervical Spinal Stenosis by MRI
      2. Consider minimal to no Contact Sports
        1. See Sports Contact Levels

Images: Related links to external sites (from Bing)

Related Studies

Ontology: Spinal stenosis in cervical region (C0158280)

Concepts Disease or Syndrome (T047)
ICD9 723.0
ICD10 M48.02
SnomedCT 156640006, 83561009
Italian Stenosi del canale spinale cervicale, Stenosi vertebrale cervicale, Stenosi del canale vertebrale cervicale
Dutch spinale stenose in regio cervicalis, ruggenmergstenose cervicaal, cervicale spinale stenose
French Sténose du rachis cervical, Sténose rachidienne dans la région cervicale, Sténose de la moelle cervicale
German spinale Stenose im Zervikalbereich, zervikale spinale Stenose
Portuguese Estenose vertebral cervical, Estenose vertebral da região cervical, Estenose raquidiana cervical
Spanish Estenosis espinal en la región cervical, Estenosis espinal cervical, estenosis del conducto medular en la región cervical (trastorno), estenosis del conducto raquídeo de la región cervical, estenosis espinal en la región cervical, estenosis del conducto raquídeo de la región cervical (trastorno), estenosis del conducto medular en la región cervical, estenosis del conducto veetebral de la región cervical, estenosis del conducto vertebral de la región cervical, Estenosis cervicoespinal
Japanese ケイツイリョウイキノセキチュウカンキョウサクショウ, 頚椎領域の脊柱管狭窄症, 頚部脊柱管狭窄症, ケイブセキチュウカンキョウサクショウ
English cervical spine stenosis (diagnosis), cervical spine stenosis, Spinal stenosis cervical, Spinal stenosis, cervical region, spinal stenosis cervical, cervical spinal stenosis, Cervical spinal stenosis (disorder), Spinal stenosis in cervical region, Cervical spinal stenosis, Spinal stenosis in cervical region (disorder), Stenosis;spinal;cervical
Czech Stenóza páteře v krční oblasti, Stenóza krční páteře
Hungarian Nyaki gerinc stenosis, Nyaki gerinc stenosisa, Cervicalis gerincrégió stenosisa