Anterior cord syndrome
Encyclopedia
Anterior cord syndrome is a medical condition where the blood supply to the anterior portion of the spinal cord
is interrupted. It is characterized by loss of motor function below the level of injury, loss of sensations carried by the anterior columns of the spinal cord (pain and temperature), and preservation of sensations carried by the posterior columns (fine touch and proprioception
).
A type of incomplete spinal cord injury
, anterior spinal syndrome is produced by injury of the motor and sensory paths of the anterior part of the spinal cord
. Patients can feel some type of coarse sensations that go through intact paths of the posterior spinal cord, but movements and the finest sensations are lost. Patients generally worsen from this type of spinal cord injury.
Spinal cord
The spinal cord is a long, thin, tubular bundle of nervous tissue and support cells that extends from the brain . The brain and spinal cord together make up the central nervous system...
is interrupted. It is characterized by loss of motor function below the level of injury, loss of sensations carried by the anterior columns of the spinal cord (pain and temperature), and preservation of sensations carried by the posterior columns (fine touch and proprioception
Proprioception
Proprioception , from Latin proprius, meaning "one's own" and perception, is the sense of the relative position of neighbouring parts of the body and strength of effort being employed in movement...
).
A type of incomplete spinal cord injury
Spinal cord injury
A spinal cord injury refers to any injury to the spinal cord that is caused by trauma instead of disease. Depending on where the spinal cord and nerve roots are damaged, the symptoms can vary widely, from pain to paralysis to incontinence...
, anterior spinal syndrome is produced by injury of the motor and sensory paths of the anterior part of the spinal cord
Spinal cord
The spinal cord is a long, thin, tubular bundle of nervous tissue and support cells that extends from the brain . The brain and spinal cord together make up the central nervous system...
. Patients can feel some type of coarse sensations that go through intact paths of the posterior spinal cord, but movements and the finest sensations are lost. Patients generally worsen from this type of spinal cord injury.
Clinical presentation
- Complete motor paralysis below the level of the lesion due to interruption of the corticospinal tract
- Loss of pain and temperature sensation at and below the level of the lesion due to interruption of the spinothalamic tract
- Retained proprioception and vibratory sensation due to intact dorsal columns
Causes
Typical causes include acute disc herniation or ischemia from anterior spinal artery occlusion.See also
- Spinal cord injurySpinal cord injuryA spinal cord injury refers to any injury to the spinal cord that is caused by trauma instead of disease. Depending on where the spinal cord and nerve roots are damaged, the symptoms can vary widely, from pain to paralysis to incontinence...
- Central cord syndromeCentral cord syndromeCentral cord syndrome is an acute cervical spinal cord injury that can affect a large and diverse group of patients. It was first described by Schneider in 1954....
- Posterior cord syndromePosterior cord syndromePosterior cord syndrome is a condition caused by lesion of the posterior portion of the spinal cord. It can be caused by an interruption to the posterior spinal artery.Unlike anterior cord syndrome, it is a very rare condition....
- Brown-Sequard SyndromeBrown-Séquard syndromeBrown-Séquard syndrome, also known as Brown-Séquard's hemiplegia and Brown-Séquard's paralysis, is a loss of sensation and motor function that is caused by the lateral hemisection of the spinal cord...