[Neurologic diagnosis of spinal diseases]

The clinical assessment of neurological deficits using a standardized protocol in spinal cord disorders is most important for indicating further neuroradiological, neurophysiological and orthopedic examinations. By neurophysiological technics the clinical examinations can be supplemented not only in patients, who are not able to cooperate. Furthermore the latter technics are able to assess in how far findings in neuroradiological examinations can be related to clinically complained symptoms. The clinical examination should define the spinal level of lesion for motor and sensory function separately and use a semiquantitative scoring system of neurological deficits, which is most relevant for follow-up examinations. Performing motor evoked potentials (MEP), somato-sensory evoked potentials (SSEP) and electromyographic recordings allows to distinguish between lesions of the central and peripheral nervous system and to assess disturbances of spinal cord function.