Spinal intermittent claudication due to cervical and thoracic degenerative spine disease.
METHODS
Neurogenic intermittent claudication can be caused by spinal cord compression. In this study, 20 patients with spinal intermittent claudication due to degenerative spine diseases were evaluated.


OBJECTIVE
This study clarified the clinical features and pathomechanism of spinal intermittent claudication due to degenerative spine diseases.


BACKGROUND
Spinal intermittent claudication may either be produced by intrinsic or extrinsic lesions. Little is known about spinal intermittent claudication due to extrinsic lesions such as spinal cord compression. Twenty patients with spinal intermittent claudication, caused by cervical or thoracic lesions, who were given surgical treatment except for one, were studied. Their main subjective symptoms were tightness, weakness, and numbness in the lower limbs and a strangulated sensation in the trunk to lower limbs. The objective findings were occurrence and/or aggravation of spinothalamic signs.


METHODS
The gait loading test was performed on these 20 patients. Selective spinal angiography was performed on the patients with thoracic myelopathy and its therapeutic effects were evaluated. A radiographic assessment was made in all patients.


RESULTS
The subjective symptoms and objective findings were reproduced by the gait loading test. Selective spinal angiography temporarily relieved or improved the spinal intermittent claudication due to the thoracic myelopathy. Spinal intermittent claudication disappeared immediately after surgical treatment.


CONCLUSIONS
Circulatory impairment of the spinal cord seems to be closely related to the etiology of spinal intermittent claudication. Besides providing diagnostic information, selective spinal angiography may also have a temporary therapeutic effect.
Kikuchi
S
S
Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Fukushima Medical College, Japan.
Watanabe
E
E
Hasue
M
M
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000792:Angiography; D002574:Cervical Vertebrae / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D005684:Gait / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D007383:Intermittent Claudication / Q000209:etiology*; D017843:Ligamentum Flavum; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009068:Movement / Q000502:physiology; D009192:Myelography; D017887:Ossification of Posterior Longitudinal Ligament / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis; D009999:Ossification, Heterotopic / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis; D013117:Spinal Cord Compression / Q000150:complications*; D013166:Spondylitis / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis; D013904:Thoracic Vertebrae / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed