title: Does lumbar spinal stenosis increase the risk of spondylotic cervical spinal cord compression?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this prospective cross-sectional observational comparative study was to determine the prevalence of spondylotic cervical cord compression (SCCC) and symptomatic cervical spondylotic myelopathy (CSM) in patients with symptomatic lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS) in comparison with a general population sample and to seek to identify predictors for the development of CSM.
  
  
  METHODS
  A group of 78 patients with LSS (48 men, median age 66 years) was compared with a randomly selected age- and sex-matched group of 78 volunteers (38 men, median age 66 years). We evaluated magnetic resonance imaging findings from the cervical spine and neurological examination.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The presence of SCCC was demonstrated in 84.6% of patients with LSS, but also in 57.7% of a sample of volunteers randomly recruited from the general population. Clinically symptomatic CSM was found in 16.7% of LSS patients in comparison with 1.3% of volunteers (p = 0.001). Multivariable logistic regression proposed the Oswestry Disability Index of 43% or more as the only independent predictor of symptomatic CSM in LSS patients (OR 9.41, p = 0.008).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The presence of symptomatic LSS increases the risk of SCCC; the prevalence of SCCC is higher in patients with symptomatic LSS in comparison with the general population, with an evident predominance of more serious types of MRI-detected compression and a clinically symptomatic form (CSM). Symptomatic CSM is more likely in LSS patients with higher disability as assessed by the Oswestry Disability Index.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University Hospital and Masaryk University Brno, Jihlavska 20, 625 00, Brno, Czech Republic. badamova@fnbrno.cz.|CEITEC-Central European Institute of Technology, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic. badamova@fnbrno.cz.
authors.forename: Blanka
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Adamova
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University Hospital and Masaryk University Brno, Jihlavska 20, 625 00, Brno, Czech Republic.|CEITEC-Central European Institute of Technology, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Josef
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bednarik
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University Hospital and Masaryk University Brno, Jihlavska 20, 625 00, Brno, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Tereza
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Andrasinova
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University Hospital and Masaryk University Brno, Jihlavska 20, 625 00, Brno, Czech Republic.|CEITEC-Central European Institute of Technology, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Ivana
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Kovalova
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University Hospital and Masaryk University Brno, Jihlavska 20, 625 00, Brno, Czech Republic.|CEITEC-Central European Institute of Technology, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Roman
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kopacik
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University Hospital and Masaryk University Brno, Jihlavska 20, 625 00, Brno, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Michal
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jabornik
authors.affiliation: CEITEC-Central European Institute of Technology, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic.|Department of Radiology, University Hospital and Masaryk University Brno, Jihlavska 20, 625 00, Brno, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Milos
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kerkovsky
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, University Hospital and Masaryk University Brno, Jihlavska 20, 625 00, Brno, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Barbora
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Jakubcova
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biostatistics and Analyses, Masaryk University, Kamenice 3, 625 00, Brno, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Jiri
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Jarkovsky
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae / Q000473:pathology*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009460:Neurologic Examination; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013117:Spinal Cord Compression / Q000473:pathology*; D013130:Spinal Stenosis / Q000473:pathology*; D055009:Spondylosis / Q000473:pathology*
keywords: Cervical cord compression; Cervical myelopathy; Cervical stenosis; Lumbar spinal stenosis; Tandem stenosis