Related Experiment Video

Updated: Aug 19, 2026

A Novel Vertebral Stabilization Method for Producing Contusive Spinal Cord Injury
09:24

A Novel Vertebral Stabilization Method for Producing Contusive Spinal Cord Injury

Published on: January 5, 2015

Posttraumatic spinal cord tethering. Case report

N R Berrington1

  • 1Department of Neurosurgery, University of Pretoria, South Africa.

Journal of Neurosurgery
|January 1, 1993
PubMed

A 53-year-old woman with a complete C-7 traumatic quadriplegia developed progressive neurological deterioration, including bulbar symptoms, 3 years after her initial injury. Magnetic resonance imaging showed tethering of the spinal cord at the level of her injury, with marked stretching of the cervical cord associated with medullary and tonsillar herniation. Following transection of the spinal cord, there was some improvement in her condition. Possible etiological factors accounting for this unique presentation are discussed.

More Related Videos

Experimental Strategies to Bridge Large Tissue Gaps in the Injured Spinal Cord after Acute and Chronic Lesion09:14

Experimental Strategies to Bridge Large Tissue Gaps in the Injured Spinal Cord after Acute and Chronic Lesion

Published on: April 5, 2016

Establishing a Mouse Contusion Spinal Cord Injury Model Based on a Minimally Invasive Technique07:17

Establishing a Mouse Contusion Spinal Cord Injury Model Based on a Minimally Invasive Technique

Published on: September 7, 2022

Related Concept Videos

The Spinal Cord01:54

The Spinal Cord

The spinal cord is the body’s major nerve tract of the central nervous system, communicating afferent sensory information from the periphery to the brain and efferent motor information from the brain to the body. The human spinal cord extends from the hole at the base of the skull, or foramen magnum, to the level of the first or second lumbar vertebra.
Spinal Cord Injury ll: Pathophysiology01:14

Spinal Cord Injury ll: Pathophysiology

Spinal cord injury progresses through two interconnected phases: primary injury and secondary injury.Primary InjuryPrimary injury happens at the moment of trauma and involves immediate mechanical damage to the spinal cord.Compression happens when broken vertebrae, herniated discs, or accumulating blood (such as a hematoma) press directly against the spinal cord, distorting its normal shape and function. In cases of contusion, the cord is bruised by a blunt force (like penetrating injuries or...
Secondary Spinal Cord Injury llI: Pathophysiology01:25

Secondary Spinal Cord Injury llI: Pathophysiology

Early Ischemia and Ionic ImbalanceWithin minutes of spinal cord injury, a secondary cascade begins, progressing over hours to weeks. Vascular damage reduces blood flow, causing ischemia and mitochondrial dysfunction. ATP depletion leads to ion pump failure, membrane depolarization, sodium influx, potassium efflux, and water accumulation, resulting in cellular swelling. Increased intracellular calcium further disrupts mitochondria and accelerates cellular injury.Excitotoxicity and Neuronal...