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Cervical Stenosis is a disease which compresses the spinal canal and makes it too small for the spinal cord and nerve roots. This condition sometimes damages the spinal cord and leads to a condition called myleopathy. There are many kinds of treatments that are suggested according to the intensity of the disease. The different treatments include modification of a patient’s lifestyle and encouraging the patient to loose weight.
Sometimes the patients are advised to use a walker to ensure a specific posture and lessen the pain. Epidural steroid injections are also used to provide relief from the leg pain. However, if the condition is severe, then suggest cervical stenosis surgery is advised.
There are two types of surgeries for this condition. They are called as anterior decompression and fusion and laminectomy. Both of these surgical treatments are used for the purpose of widening the spinal canal and relieving the pressure on the spinal cord. Your doctor will discuss the risks of each individual option.
In the anterior decompression and fusion the disc and bone material, that cause spinal cord compression, are removed from the front. This treatment stabilizes the spine. The fusion process comprises of stabilizing the spine and it places a bone graft between the cervical segments. This compensates for the bone removed and hence supports the spine. The doctors usually opt to add a metallic plate in order to provide strength to the spine.
The other surgical treatment is called as laminectomy. This surgery is done from the back of the neck. In this surgery, the surgeon removes the specific ligaments and bone that cause pressure on the spinal cord. As is the case with laminectomy, the surgeon sometimes grafts bone so that the spine gets stabilized.
Another option is known as laminaplasty. This also involves the widening of the spinal canal. The surgeons remove a part of the bony arch and a hinge is created. The hinge thus created is opened so that space is made for the spinal cord.
The advancement in medical sciences has led to much advancement in the cervical stenosis surgery methods. This includes several new implants that preserve the normal motion in the spine to the maximum extent and try to treat the symptoms of the disease.
The latest innovations in the field are three new technologies: the Wallis, X-Stop and TOPS implants. These technologies have been crafted for the purpose of preventing the further extension of stenotic ligaments. But these technologies are fairly new so the success rate and risk factors are not known. In order to get proper advice on the treatment suitable to your specific case, refer to a surgeon.
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