Cervical Spondylosis Diagnosis and Management eMedicine Neurosurgery

Description: Cervical spondylosis is a common degenerative condition of the cervical spine. It is most likely caused by age-related changes in the intervertebral disks. Clinically, several syndromes, both overlapping and distinct, are seen. These include neck and shoulder pain, suboccipital pain and headache, radicular symptoms, and cervical spondylotic myelopathy (CSM). As disk degeneration occurs, mechanical stresses result in osteophytic bars, which form along the ventral aspect of the spinal canal.
Synonyms and related keywords: cervical degenerative joint disease, cervical degenerative disk disease, cervical osteoarthritis, cervical spondylotic myelopathy, CSM, disk degeneration, degenerative cervical disease, osteophytic bars, cervical radiculopathy, neck pain, shoulder pain, cervicalgia, chronic suboccipital headache, paresthesias, pseudoangina, breast pain, nontraumatic paraparesis, nontraumatic tetraparesis, numbness, clumsy hands, loss of manual dexterity, difficulty with writing, central cord syndrome, Tinel sign, Spurling sign, Babinski sign, Hoffman sign, pectoralis muscle reflex, spastic gait, Lhermitte sign
Baron & Young 2007