Central Cord Syndrome

Authors

Affiliations

Nate Yomogida, B.S., SPT

Doctor of Physical Therapy

B.S. in Kinesiology

Chloë Kerstein, B.S., SPT

Doctor of Physical Therapy

B.A. in Neuroscience

Epidemiology

• Most common spinal cord syndrome¹

Etiology

• Generally occurs from hyperextension injuries to the cervical region
• Congenital or degenerative narrowing of the spinal canal
  • The compressive forces give rise to hemorrhage and edema, producing damage to the most central aspects of the cord.

Clinical Presentation

UE Impacts

• More severe UE neurological impairment due to central location

Motor > Sensory

• Varying degrees of sensory impairment¹
• Sensory tends to be less severe than motor deficits¹

Completeness

• With complete preservation of sacral tracts, normal sexual, bowel, and bladder function may be retained¹.

Prognosis

Functional Tasks

• Mod-severe impairments¹
• Functional tasks tend to be limited due to:
  • Some distal UE weakness¹
  • Loss of fine motor control¹

Ambulation

• Typically recover the ability to ambulate¹

References

1.

O’Sullivan SB, Schmitz TJ, Fulk GD, eds. Physical Rehabilitation. 7th ed. F.A. Davis Company; 2019.