COMBINED CERVICAL AND LUMBAR SPONDYLOSIS.

Abstract

Spondylosis diffusely affects the vertebral column but is more pronounced in the cervical and lumbar spine where the motility is high. In the cervical area, it may cause compression of the spinal cord and/or nerve roots, and in the lumbar region, the cauda equina. While much has been written in recent years about cervical spondylosis, 1-5,8,9,11-16 little attention has been given to lumbar spondylosis. 6,7,17,18 This paucity is probably the result of misclassification in that spondylosis of the lumbar spine is frequently interpreted as herniation nucleus pulposus. 17,18 Since spondylotic changes are common in the cervical and lumbar spine, a combined compression of the neural contents of both areas would not be a rare entity, despite the fact that there has been no previous record. Presentation is made here of 12 cases of cervical spondylosis with compression of the cervical spinal cord and/or nerve roots, and concomitant lumbar spondylosis. Compression