Paraspinal autonomic ganglion distortion due to vertebral body osteophytosis: a cause of vertebrogenic autonomic syndromes?
OBJECTIVE
Preliminary histological investigation to determine whether vertebral body osteophytosis can compromise adjacent paraspinal autonomic structures.


METHODS
Histological sections of the L4 to S1 vertebral bodies were cut in the coronal plane at a thickness of 200 microns for morphological studies using transmitted light microscopy.


RESULTS
Morphological evidence is presented which supports the hypothesis that vertebral body osteophytes appear to compromise adjacent paraspinal autonomic structures.


CONCLUSIONS
Motion segment osteophytosis may affect viscera via the autonomic nervous system.
Giles
L G
LG
Division of Science and Technology, Griffith University, Nathan, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
D000368:Aged; D001342:Autonomic Nervous System Diseases / Q000209:etiology*; D001344:Autopsy; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005725:Ganglia, Autonomic / Q000473:pathology*; D005727:Ganglia, Spinal / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D013128:Spinal Osteophytosis / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology