Welcome To Iconocast

How to add a URL link from your web site to the Iconocast web sites

Virtual tour of Southern California

Recent News and Articles on the Keywords: spinal stenosis + spinal stenosis: + stenosis  Related to the article below (Last Update: 8/5/2008)

Danville Weekly Online Calendar Danville Weekly, CA - Aug 4, 2008 Spine surgeon Vikram Talwar, MD, will present a free seminar on Spinal Stenosis from 7:30-8:30 pm, Aug. 7. Stenosis is a narrowing of the spinal canal that ... Spinal Surgery 365 Blog Helps Anchor Juliano Medical Blog Network Live-PR.com (Pressemitteilung), Austria - Jul 31, 2008 ... spinal stenosis surgery, spinal fusion surgery, minimally invasive spinal surgery, laser spinal surgery, spinal decompression surgery, spinal stenosis ... 4 Conditions Cause Sciatica: Which Is Causing Your Pain? NewsReleaseWire.com (press release) - Jul 29, 2008 There are several possible conditions that lead to spinal stenosis: -- Aging -- With age, the body's ligaments (tough connective tissues between the bones ... New Minimally Invasive Surgical Procedure Restores Quality of Life ... MarketWatch - Jul 29, 2008 Lumbar stenosis is a narrowing of the spinal canal in the lower back, known as the lumbar area. This narrowing occurs when bone and/or ligament growth ... Frost & Sullivan Recognizes Disc Motion Technologies for its ... FOXBusiness - Jul 17, 2008 ... for treating lumbar joint degeneration and the TrueDyne PDS for re-stabilizing the spine following correction of spinal stenosis and for lumbar fusion. ... Vertos Medical Inc. Completes Series C Financing MarketWatch - Jul 17, 2008 The MILD (Minimally Invasive Lumbar Decompression) procedure, is a simple, percutaneous, fluoroscopically guided treatment for Lumbar Spinal Stenosis (LSS). ... Vertos Medical raises $12 million Bizjournals.com Vertos Medical Inc. Presents Clinical Data of its MILD(TM ... MarketWatch all 17 news articles »  CLDA Power to the Paralyzed: Healthy Life 7/29/08 KCRG, IA - Jul 29, 2008 SCI is very different from back injuries such as ruptured disks, spinal stenosis or pinched nerves. A person can "break their back or neck" yet not sustain ... Impliant Launches Less-Invasive Version of Patented TOPS(TM) Spine ... MarketWatch - Jul 17, 2008 ... of its TOPS(TM) System, a Total Posterior Arthroplasty device designed to treat spinal stenosis with or without facet arthrosis and spondylolisthesis. ... FDA Approves Expanded 510k Classification for Titan Spine's ... MarketWatch - Jul 29, 2008 ... can often lead to more severe disorders, such as lumbar spinal stenosis (narrowing of the spinal canal) or spondylolistheses (disc slips forward). ... Bowman cleared to practice In-Forum, ND - Jul 29, 2008 Surgery was needed to correct spinal stenosis, a condition brought on by the narrowing of the spinal canal. Doctors told him it was possible he was born ...

Spinal Stenosis

The spine is made up of 33 bones. These and the discs between them provide a passage for the spinal cord and nerves. The spinal cord itself connects the nerves of the body to the brain.

Spinal stenosis is a narrowing of the passage where the spinal cord runs.

Stenosis can affect any part of the spine, although it rarely affects the upper back. When the narrowed area is in the bones of the neck, it is called cervical stenosis. When the narrowed area is in the bones of the lower back, it is called lumbar stenosis.

Article continues below and (thank you)

In the illustration of cervical stenosis (above left), the narrowing is caused by bone spurs growing into the spinal canal. This puts pressure on the spinal nerves and the spinal canal.

In the illustration of lumbar stenosis (above right), the narrowing is caused by thickening of the spinal ligaments.

Spinal Stenosis Symptoms

The pressure on nerves inside the narrowed spinal canal can cause pain in the legs when walking.

Spinal Stenosis Causes and Risk Factors

This condition can develop because of:

• Genetics
• Development problems in the spine before birth
• Poor posture and body mechanics
• Physical abuse
• Obesity
• Age
• Diseases such as arthritis, scoliosis, osteoporosis and lordosis (sway back)

Diagnosing Spinal Stenosis

To diagnose spinal stenosis, a doctor will first take a medical history and perform a physical exam, looking for limitations on movement, pain and a loss of reflexes.

Other procedures that can help confirm the diagnosis include:

• X-rays, which can help rule out tumors, injuries or abnormalities
• Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), which can help detect damage or disease in the soft tissues such as the discs or ligaments.
• Computed tomography (CT) scan, which can show the shape, size and nearby structures of the spinal canal.
• Myelogram, in which an opaque dye is injected into the spinal column followed by an X-ray. This can show pressure on the spinal cord or nerves from herniated discs, bone spurs or tumors.
• Bone scan, which can detect fractures, tumors, infections and arthritis

Treating Spinal Stenosis

Knowing the cause is the key to prevention. Practicing good spinal and joint health can help reduce the chance of this condition, even for those with an inherited risk of developing the condition.

Treatment options include:

• Foraminotomy, removal of bone and soft tissues to enlarge a passage for the nerve
• Surgical decompression, a procedure to free space for the nerves in the spinal canal. A number of different surgical methods are commonly used to achieve decompression, including laminectomy, laminotomy, laminoplasty, foramenotomy and anterior discectomy.

The ideal technique to use depends on where the narrowing is located, what is causing the narrowing, how stable the spine is and the surgeon's expertise.

Resources at Cedars-Sinai