Disorders
Normal Spine
Anatomy
The spine is made up of vertebrae and discs. Together they make the spine flexible and strong. The parts of the spine are: The vertebrae, which are the 24 bones that make up the spine, are divided into 7 Cervical, 12 Thoracic and 5 Lumbar. A disk is the material that lies between each of the vertebrae.
The transverse process is the wing of bone on either side of the vertebrae, and the
spinous process is the part of each vertebra you can feel through your skin.
Scoliosis
Scoliosis is a side to side curvature of the spine. Idiopathic Scoliosis occurs
in adolescence and can cause pain, cosmetic deformity, imbalance and pressure on
the lungs and heart. Degenerative Scoliosis occurs later in life and can cause pain,
cosmetic deformity, imbalance, pressure on the lungs and heart and be a contributing
factor of Spinal Stenosis.
Educational Information about Childhood and
Adolescent Scoliosis
Kyphosis
Kyphosis is an exaggerated curve that causes a rounded or hunched back often referred
to as humpback or a bowing of the back.
Educational Information about Kyphosis
Spinal Stenosis
Spinal Stenosis is a narrowing of the lumbar or cervical spinal canal which can
cause compression of the nerve roots and put painful pressure on the spinal column.
Causes of Spinal Stenosis include Disk Herniation and Osteoarthritis. Symptoms of
Spinal Stenosis include numbness, back or neck pain, pain that radiates down the
legs or arms, and difficulty or weakness when walking or standing.
Spondylolysis
Spondylolysis is a stress fracture in one of the vertebrae that make up the spinal
column.
Educational Information about Spondylolysis
Spondylolisthesis
Spondylolisthesis is a vertebral body slipping forward over the vertebral body below
it. Symptoms of Spondylolisthesis may include low back and buttock pain, numbness,
tingling, muscle tightness or weakness in the legs (sciatica) or a limp. Symptoms
may be aggravated by standing, walking or participation in other activities.
Educational Information about Spondylolisthesis
Disk Herniation
A Disc herniation is a bulging protrusion from normal position between your vertebra
or rupture of a disc or disc fragment that pushes on a nerve. Symptoms of a Disc
Herniation may include pain, numbness, tingling and/or weakness.
Educational Information about Disk Herniation
Spinal Tumors
These may rarely develop in the spine, causing compression of the spinal cord and
nerves that may lead to severe pain and eventually paraplegia and death. The tumors
will erode into the bones and cause instability of the spine, which could contribute
to paraplegia. Spine tumors may respond to chemotherapy and/or radiation, but usually
surgery is needed to remove the bulk of the tumor and to stabilize the spine. Tumors
are more likely to metastasize from other primary locations to the spine, such as
from the lung, breast, thyroid, kidney, or prostate.
Learn More about Spine Tumors
Ankylosing Spondylitis
This is an inflammatory disease that affects the spine. The spine will tend to fuse
automatically. Over time, patients will develop severe kyphosis of the spine. Patients
will notice that their chins will progressively get closer to their chest as their
neck becomes more kyphotic with loss of the normal field of vision and eventually
will have difficulty shaving and eating without regurgitating food. Surgery is the
only method to correct the kyphosis.
Learn More about Ankylosing Spondylitis
Rheumatoid Arthritis
This is an inflammatory condition that commonly affects the joints in the spine,
especially in the neck. The joints will be destroyed over time which may lead to
instability of the cervical spine leading to quadriplegia and death. When instability
occurs, spine surgery is required to stabilize the spine. Improvements in medical
therapies have decreased the number of patients that will have this disease advanced
enough to need cervical fusion.
Learn More about Rheumatoid Arthritis
Piriformis Syndrome
It is a neuromuscular disorder that occurs when the sciatic nerve is compressed
or otherwise irritated by the piriformis muscle causing pain, tingling and numbness
in the buttocks and along the path of the sciatic nerve descending down the lower
thigh and into the leg. Diagnosis is often difficult due to few validated and standardized
diagnostic tests, but one of the most important criteria is to exclude sciatica
resulting from compression/irriation of spinal nerve roots, as by a herniated disk.
The syndrome may be due to anatomical variations in the muscle-nerve relationship
or from overuse or strain. We offer a minimally invasive technique to remove the
entire piriformis muscle to treat this syndrome. The minimally invasive technique
allows for same day surgery and quicker recovery.
Learn More about Piriformis Syndrome
Facet Cysts
Degeneration of the facet joints may lead to fluid-filled cysts that may compress
the nerves leading to sciatica. Aspiration of the cysts may temporarily improve
the sciatica pain, but surgery is eventually needed for definitive pain relief.
Learn More about Facet Cysts
Fractures
Compression/wedging of the vertebral bodies usually occur after a fall or other
trauma. In older patients, there is usually osteoporosis, while in younger patients
it is usually due to high energy, such as a motor vehicle collision. Surgery is
used to remove neural compression, restore stability, or to treat pain.
Learn More about Compression Fractures
Osteoporosis
A condition in which the bones become more porous and prone to fracture, usually
age-related but may also be seen in other conditions such as renal failure.
Learn More about Osteoporosis
