Surgical outcomes of foramen magnum decompression for syringomyelia associated with Chiari I malformation: relation between the location of the syrinx and body pain.

Background: There have been few reports about the relation between the morphology of syrinxes and body pain in syringomyelia associated with Chiari I malformation. To investigate this phenomenon, the relation between the location of the syrinx and body pain before and after foramen magnum decompression (FMD) were evaluated.

Methods: The subjects were 20 patients with Chiari I malformation associated with syringomyelia who underwent FMD.

Cervical spinal motion before and after surgery in patients with Chiari malformation type I associated with syringomyelia.

Object: There have been few reports about the cervical spinal motion in patients with Chiari malformation Type I (CM-I) associated with syringomyelia. To investigate this phenomenon, the relationship between the preoperative cervical range of motion (ROM) and the stage of cerebellar tonsillar descent as well as the cervical ROM before and after foramen magnum decompression (FMD) were evaluated.

Methods: Thirty patients who had CM-I associated with syringomyelia and who underwent FMD participated in the study.

Clinical significance of the redundant nerve roots of the cauda equina documented on magnetic resonance imaging.

Object: Previous reports of redundant nerve roots (RNRs) of the cauda equina have been limited to evaluations based on myelography. Neither the imaging nor the clinical features of RNRs in relation to magnetic resonance (MR) imaging have been elaborated. The MR imaging characteristics of RNRs were evaluated using the Japanese Orthopaedic Association score before and after the surgery.

Surgical outcomes in adult patients with syringomyelia associated with Chiari malformation type I: the relationship between scoliosis and neurological findings.

Object: The clinical characteristics of pediatric scoliosis associated with syringomyelia have been reported in previous studies, but scoliosis associated with syringomyelia in adults is rarely treated, and there is a paucity of detailed studies. In the present study of adult syringomyelia associated with Chiari malformation Type I, the authors investigated the relationships among the syrinx, scoliosis, and neurological data.

Methods: The population was composed of 27 patients (> or = 20 years of age) who underwent foramen magnum decompression for the treatment of syringomyelia.

Regression of retroodontoid pseudotumors following C-1 laminoplasty. Report of three cases.

The authors report a new technique for C-1 laminoplasty without fusion in the treatment of cervical myelopathy associated with a retroodontoid pseudotumor (also known as a phantom tumor). The authors review the cases of three patients who underwent C-1 laminoplasty in which hydroxyapatite was used and fusion was not performed. All patients suffered from severe progressive myelopathy before surgery.