CERVICAL SPONDYLOSIS
Basic Information
Images and Descriptions of Cervical Spondylosis

CERVICAL DISC HERNIATION
Images and Description of Cervical Disc Herniation (HNP) read below and images of cervical spine surgery click here

Viewing lumbar and cervical nerve roots under the Microscope 

Posterior Cervical Microsurgical Discectomy information

Spinal surgery photographs using the Microscope

Images of a Cervical Spine Fusion with an Anterior Cervical Plate/Screw System

Images and Descriptions of Diffuse Idiopathic Skeletal Hyperostosis

Click the Blue Titles above and link to the corresponding web page.

CERVICAL VERTEBRECTOMY or CORPECTOMY FOR TRAUMA OR NEOPLASM OR SPONDYLOSIS WITH ASSOCIATED SPINAL CANAL STENOSIS MAY BE NECESSARY IN CERTAIN SPECIFIC PATIENTS.

 PLEASE VISIT WITH ME IN THE OFFICE FOR FURTHER DISCUSSION.

Updated 7-10-99















CERVICAL DISC HERNIATIONS ARE OFTEN PAINFUL CONDITIONS WHICH MAY REQUIRE EVALUATION AND TREATMENT BY A NEUROSURGEON. DIRECT PRESSURE ON THE SENSITIVE SOFT NERVE ROOT MAY AFFECT NERVE ROOT FUNCTION BY ALTERING CHEMICAL OR ELECTRICAL CONDUCTION OR IMPAIR NERVE ROOT FUNCTION BY DIRECT STRUCTURAL DAMAGE. ACUTE OR CHRONIC COMPRESSION BY DISC OR "SPUR" (OSTEOPHYTE) CAN AFFECT THE VASCULAR SUPPLY OF THE EXITING NERVE ROOT. NECK AND IPSILATERAL (SAME SIDED) SCAPULAR PAIN OFTEN RESULT. PAIN CAN BE FELT TO RADIATE OR "SHOOT DOWN" THE ARM ON THE SAME SIDE OF THE HERNIATED DISC. NUMBNESS, TINGLING, WEAKNESS CAN OCCURWITH NERVE ROOT COMPRESSION. QUESTIONS HAVE TO BE ASKED AND A NEUROLOGICAL EXAMINATION PERFORMED TO ASSESS THE DEGREE OF PAIN AND ANY LOSS OF NERVE ROOT FUNCTION . SPINAL CORD FUNCTION HAS TO BE ASSESSED BECAUSE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SPINAL CORD DYSFUNCTION FROM THE COMPRESSIVE EFFECTS OF THE HERNIATION ESPECIALLY A MID-LINE LARGE HERNIATION. CT SCANS WITH IV CONTRAST OR MRI SCANS OR CT SCANS AFTER MYELOGRAMS AS SEEN BELOW CAN REVEAL HERNIATED DISC CORE OR NUCLEUS MATERIAL OR OSTEOPHYTES COMPRESSING THE NERVE ROOTS QUITE CLEARLY WITHIN THE NEURAL FORAMEN . THE LEVEL C5-6 MEANS THE DISC BETWEEN THE FIFTH AND SIXTH CERVICAL VERTEBRAE.

THE CERVICAL DISC HERNIATION SEEN BELOW AT THIS C 5-6 LEVEL CAUSES COMPRESSION OF THE C6 NERVE ROOT WHICH EXITS LATERALLY THROUGH THE NEURAL FORAMEN. THE C6 NERVE ROOT IS ONE OF FIVE MAJOR NERVE ROOTS WHICH LEAVE THE SPINAL CORD IN THE NECK AND THEN CONTROL THE IPSILATERAL SHOULDER, ARM AND HAND MUSCLES AND PROVIDE THE PATHWAYS FOR SENSATION FROM THE SKIN AND JOINTS OF THE ARM OR HAND . THE C6 NERVE ROOT DOES NOT FILL WITH CONTRAST DURING THE MYELOGRAM AND ALSO THE ANTERIOR SURFACE OF THE SPINAL CORD IS SIGNIFICANTLY COMPRESSED OR FLATTENED ON THE SAME SIDE. THIS CT SCAN AXIAL IMAGE FROM A MYELOGRAM CLEARLY DEMONSTRATES THE COMPRESSIVE EFFECTS OF A LARGE CERVICAL DISC HERNIATION.