title: Spinal cord injury in cervical spinal stenosis by minor trauma.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The size of the spinal canal is a factor that contributes to the neurologic deficits associated with cervical OPLL and CSM. We investigate the development of neurologic deterioration after minor trauma and the clinical results of decompressive surgery in cervical spinal stenosis retrospectively.
  
  
  METHODS
  We treated 200 cases (98 cervical OPLLs and 102 CSMs) of cervical spinal stenosis for 8 years. There were 63 (33.5%) minor trauma cases to the cervical spine in 200 patients. Of these 63 patients, 18 developed myelopathy, 13 showed deterioration of preexisting myelopathy, and no neurologic change was observed in 32 patients. The neurologic status was assessed by the JOA score. The patients were divided into 2 groups according to the residual cervical spinal canal diameter: group I (<10 mm cervical spinal canal) and group II (> or =10 mm cervical spinal canal).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Neurologic outcome depended on the diameter of the residual spinal canal; 22 of the 25 patients in group I developed neurologic deterioration, whereas that occurred in 8 of the 38 patients in group II (P < .05). After surgical decompression, 8 patients in group I and 30 patients in group II came out with an improved JOA score of more than 50% (P < .05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Even indirect minor trauma to the neck can cause irreversible changes in the spinal cord if there is marked stenosis of the cervical spinal canal. It may be beneficial to check lateral radiograph of the cervical spine as a screening tool for early detection of cervical spinal stenosis especially in Asian people older than 40 years.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Uijongbu St. Mary's Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea College of Medicine, Uijongbu, South Korea.
authors.forename: Do-Sung
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Yoo
authors.forename: Sang-Bok
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Pil-Woo
authors.initials: PW
authors.lastname: Huh
authors.forename: Seok-Gu
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.forename: Kyoung-Suok
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Cho
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002574:Cervical Vertebrae; D015331:Cohort Studies; D019299:Decompression, Surgical; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017887:Ossification of Posterior Longitudinal Ligament / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery*; D020127:Recovery of Function; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery*; D013130:Spinal Stenosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery*; D016896:Treatment Outcome