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At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMedDate not supplied

Nerve roots and spinal nerves in degenerative disk disease.

After 43 years of investigating the intervertebral disk, the long term results of the management of patients from the standpoint of pain are not significantly different than they were prior to the identification of the herniated disk nor do they seem to be significantly different than no treatment at all. This should at least suggest that the phenomena of low back pain is far more complex than can be accounted for on the basis of a simple mechanical-pressure theory of disk derangement. There is a significant volume of literature that would point to the neural tissues themselves as the most logical structures for future research that attempts to interfere with the natural history of this disease from the standpoint of pain. It seems most appropriate to attack lumbar disk disease from this standpoint because except in uncommon cases, the pathological process is benign and self limiting. It also seems logical that major advancements in the management of "diskogenic" back pain will depend upon an appreciation of the importance of controlling neural inflammation in the early phases of the disease rather than developing new techniques of managing irreversible neural lesions and their iatrogenetic or psychiatric sequelae.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1976

A light and electron microscope study of changes occurring at the cut ends following section of the dorsal roots of rat spinal nerves.

Rat dorsal spinal nerve roots were cut; 20 h later the axons in the vicinity of the cut were examined by light and electron microscopy. The changes in the cut tip distant from the ganglion were largely degenerative. On the ganglionic side of the cut a cap of free unmyelinated sprouts was formed. These sprouts contained clear and dense-core vesicles 40-150 nm in diameter, smooth endoplasmic reticulum and mitochondria. Some of the unmyelinated sprouts were extensions of myelinated axons, others arose from myelinated axons by lateral budding. In both myelinated and non-myelinated axons there was an accumulation of mitochondria, tubulo-vesicular smooth endoplasmic reticulum and large and small dense-core vesicles for a distance of approximately 500 mum behind the tip. Dense-core vesicles were more common in non-myelinated axons than in their myelinated counterparts. In areas of intense accumulation the non-myelinated fibres were grossly swollen and distorted. The myelinated axons and some of the sprouts contained an unusual type of mitochondrion. The similarity between these sprouts and pre-synaptic terminals is discussed.

Animals↗
PubMed1978

Relationship of the patellar tendon reflex to the ventral branch of the fifth lumbar spinal nerve in the dog.

The lumbosacral plexuses of dogs were exposed, using a ventral abdominal approach. In 4 dogs, the ventral branches (VB) of the 4th, 5th, 6th, or 7th lumbar spinal nerves were severed bilaterally. In 4 other dogs, the VB of combinations of 3 of these lumbar spinal nerves were severed so that the branch of only 1 nerve was kept intact. Among many neurologic deficits seen, the reflex of the patellar tendon was absent if the VB of the 5th lumbar spinal nerve was severed and was present if the branch was left intact. This finding was confirmed in another 12 dogs in which the VG of the 5th lumbar spinal nerve was severed on 1 side and the VB of the 4th and 6th lumbar spinal nerves were severed on the opposite side. In 4 additional dogs, the dorsal and ventral roots of the 5th lumbar spinal cord segment were isolated by dorsal laminectomy. Severing the dorsal root caused loss of the patellar tendon reflex, whereas severing the ventral root resulted in hyporeflexia. These findings would suggest that the major afferent impulse elicited by tapping the patellar tendon reaches the spinal cord by way of the dorsal root of the 5th lumbar spinal nerve.

Animals↗
PubMed1979

Observations on the topographical relations of spinal nerve roots in the rat.

The spinal cord along with the ventral and dorsal roots (C1-S4) were dissected out in 10 male and 5 female CF rats. The vertebral levels of origin and exit of the spinal nerve roots and termination of the spinal cord were recorded. It was observed that from the mid-cervical to the sacral region, the roots arose increasingly at cranial levels compared to their levels of exit. This disparity was at its maximum in the lumbar and sacral segments. The spinal cord terminated between the third and fourth lumbar vertebrae. There was no sexual dimorphism either at the level of termination of the cord or at the levels of origin and exit of origin and exit of the various nerve roots.

Animals↗
PubMed1979

Studies of human and bovine spinal nerve roots and the outgrowth of CNS tissues into the nerve root entry zone.

The outpouching of CNS tissues into the entering spinal nerve roots was documented by light and electron microscopy of human and bovine tissues. Astrocytic processes containing large bundles of glial filaments were very prominent in the nerve entry zone and extended for short distances into the adjacent endoneurium of the spinal nerve roots. Antiserum raised to glial acidic fibrillary (GFA) protein stained these glial elements, thereby characterizing the dome-shaped evaginations of CNS tissues into the nerve root entry zones. Antisera to CNS basic protein showed enhanced staining in the nerve entry zone. Analyses of nerve proteins by SDS gel electrophoresis disclosed a prominent 49,000 MW protein in the bovine and human nerve root entry zone. This protein was also prominent in spinal cord white matter, but was not seen in nerve roots which were not admixed with glial tissues. This finding supported the view that a 49,000 MW protein is a glial filaments but is not a component of bovine or human neurofilaments.

Animals↗
PubMed1976

Spinal nerves and their bearing on salamander phylogeny.

Examination of the vertebral columns of representatives of all families of salamanders revealed that, in contrast to the condition found in most other vertebrates, salamander spinal nerves of often pass through foramina in the vertebrae. Two kinds of spinal nerve foramina were found: those in the anterior halves of vertebrae, and those in the posterior halves. In addition, many salamanders retain intervertebral nerves. However, within each family or, in a few cases, subfamily there is a characteristic pattern of spinal nerve-vertebral relationships. The first spinal nerve of all salamanders exits through a foramen in the anterior half of the atlas. All more posterior nerves are intervertebral in the families Cryptobranchidae, Hynobiidae and Proteidae. The posterior caudal nerves exit through the posterior halves of the caudal vertebrae in the family Amphiumidae, while in the subfamilies Dicamptodontinae and Rhyacotritoninae all post-sacral nerves exit through the posterior halves of the vertebrae. All but the first three nerves exit through posterior foramina in the family Plethodontidae and the subfamily Ambystomatinae, while all but the first two nerves pass through posterior foramina in the families Salamandridae and Sirenidae. Several fossil salamanders were also examined. These showed that the amphiumid and dicamptodontine-rhyacotritonine nerve patterns had evolved by the Late Cretaceous, and the sirenid pattern had probably evolved by that time. Other Cretaceous genera associated with the Ambystomatoidea still possessed the primitive intervertebral pattern. Using spinal nerve patterns and several other previously described morphological characters, a new hypothesis of the phylogeny of recent and fossil salamanders is presented and compared to earlier proposed phylogenies of the group. A new classification of salamander families is presented.

Animals↗
PubMed1976

A scanning electron microscope study of the development of free axonal sprouts at the cut ends of dorsal spinal nerve roots in the rat.

Rat dorsal spinal nerve roots were cut and the tip on the ganglionic side of the cut was examined by scanning electron microscopy at 0, 7, 20 and 48 h after operation. Seven hours after cutting, free axonal sprouts had started to protrude from the cut end of the nerve. After 20 h the free sprouts were more profuse than at 7 h but were smaller and had a rougher surface. At both 7 and 20 h many of the sprouts consisted of a stalk 2-7 mum in diameter with a bulbous end 5-20 mum in diameter. A few branching sprouts were seen. At 48 h the sprouts were shrunken with a deeply furrowed surface. The significance of the surface structure of the sprouts is discussed.

Animals↗
PubMed1978

[Intracranial neurinoma of the spinal nerve (author's transl)].

A patient aged 56 years has developed a syndrome affecting the last cranial nerves--IX, X, XI and XII--on the left side progressively over the last two years, and, more recently, deafness. Apart from a simple radiological examination all other radiological tests were negative. The diagnosis was made during the surgical operation which revealed a neurinoma of nerve XI (spinal) in its intracranial path. The diagnosis was confirmed histologically. After reviewing the published literature, the authors conclude that this is an exceptional case, which justifies publication and enables differential diagnosis to be made between this tumor and the Jugular Glomus tumor.

Accessory Nerve↗
PubMed1977

The vertebral level of origin of spinal nerves in the rat.

Several dissections were performed to determine the level of spinal cord termination and the vertebral level at which the dorsal and ventral roots of spinal nerves C1-S4 emerged from the spinal cord in the rat. These levels of emergence were then compared to the level of exit from the vertebral canal. The dissections demonstrated that the effect of differential growth between spinal cord and vertebral column begins in the lower cervical region and becomes progressively more pronounced throughout thoracic and lumbar levels. The disparity between the vertebral level of emergence of spinal roots from the spinal cord and their level of exit via intervertebral foramina was found to be considerably larger than was previously reported by Greene ('68). It was further noted that the spinal cord terminated at the level of the intervertebral disc between the third and fourth lumbar vertebrae, not between the fourth and fifth lumbar vertebrae as reported by Greene ('68).

Animals↗
PubMed1977

Spinal nerve block. A diagnostic test in sciatica.

The cause of sciatica has been studied by blocking spinal nerves of the lumbosacral plexus in intervertebral foramina. The nerve, which is singled out with the aid of an image intensifier, is injected with 1 ml of 1 per cent Xylocain. If the Xylocain injection eliminates the sciatic pain, the surgeon may be confident that a true nerve-root compression is involved, and he can then explore as far as he finds necessary. The correlation between the site of compression and the level indicated by the test was confirmed by operation in 19 patients.

Adult↗
PubMed1979

Quantitative study on the fetal cervical dorsal root ganglion and observations on its relationship with the spinal nerve complex in the albino mouse.

In mouse fetuses aged 12, 14, 16, 18 and 20 days, the cervical dorsal root ganglion was studied quantitatively. The main growth in volume of the interneuroblastic spaces was between the 12th and 16th day of pre-natal life while the main increase in volume of its neuroblasts occurred in the subsequent 4 days. Thus, it was postulated that the growth and branching of the neuroblastic dendrites, growth of the neuroglial elements and the vascular ramifications inside the ganglion occurred mainly between the 12th and 16th day of pre-natal life. Different modalities in the spatial relationship between the dorsal root ganglion and the different components of the spinal nerve were met with. At times, the trunk of the spinal nerve was located inside the ganglion. At that site, the posterior primary ramus emerged from it and appeared as a branch of the ganglion. The ventral root sometimes passed close to the fibrous capsule of the ganglion. In other cases, it passed inside the ganglion, dividing the ganglionic neuroblasts into dorsal and ventral groups. These either remained ensheathed by one fibrous capsule or became divided into two separate masses that remained connected to each other by the fibrous dural sheath.

Animals↗
PubMed1978

High spinal nerve block for large bowel anastomosis. A retrospective study.

In a retrospective study, 68 large bowel anastomoses carried out on patients under subarachnoid or extradural spinal nerve block with light general anaesthesia were compared with 26 anastomoses on patients receiving general anaesthesia alone. Dehiscence occurred in 7.4% of anastomoses performed under spinal nerve block compared with 23.1% in the control group. In patients receiving morphine, anastomotic dehiscence occurred after 15.2% of operations, compared with 5.9% in patients receiving pethidine. These differences are not statistically significant. However, the findings indicate the need for larger prospective studies.

Anesthesia, General↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Glial outgrowth and central-type myelination of regenerating axons in spinal nerve roots following transection and suture: light and electron microscopic study in the pig.

Glial bundles growing out of the spinal cord were observed in spinal nerve roots in the pig after their section and surgical repair. The heterotopic occurrence of glial cells, most of which were identified as astrocytes, was more frequent and more pronounced in dorsal than in ventral roots. Several of the glial bundles contained regenerated myelinated axons. These were probably myelinated by cells which showed the typical cytological criteria for oligodendrocytes and the mode of myelination was clearly of central type. It was concluded that the glial outgrowth is induced by degeneration and regeneration of axons passing the central-peripheral transition zone.

Animals↗
PubMed1978

Spinal nerve compression: a cause of claudication.

Thirteen patients were referred with claudication thought by the referring doctor to be vascular in origin. A careful history and physical examination followed by contrast radiculography showed their symptoms to be due to spinal nerve compression. The clinical picture is presented and the main pitfalls in diagnosis is considered. It was stressed that the taking of a careful history is the most important factor in arriving at a correct diagnosis.

Adult↗
PubMed1976

Melanotic tumours (Blue Naevi) of spinal nerve roots.

Four cases interpreted as intraspinal blue naevi are reported. The patients were adults females with an age range between 22 and 60 yr. In three there was a single tumour arising from the cervical posterior nerve roots and in the fourth there were multiple tumours arising from the posterior nerve roots of the spinal cord and occurring within the cerebello--pontine angle. The histological appearances of the tumours were similar in every way to those of dermal blue naevi. One was of the more common spindle-celled type and three of the cellular variant. The tumours contained melanin-pigment, and spindle cells with dendritic bipolar processes of the type described in dermal blue naevi. One was of the more common spindle-celled type and three of the cellular variant. The tumours contained melanin pigment, and spindle cells with dendritic bipolar processes of the type described in dermal blue naevi. Definite evidence of malignant tranformation was found in two cases and in a third, the appearances were suggestive for early malignant change. Therefore, unlike their dermal equivalents, intraspinal blue naevi appear to have a greater propensity for malignant transformation. In each case a careful clinical examination failed to reveal any evidence of a primary malignant melanoma. In the one case who died and on whom necropsy was performed, the failure to identify a primary cutaneous, mucosal or ocular melanoma substantiated our contention that these tumours were primary.

Adult↗